Against the backdrop of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, California, the Los Angeles Lakers have become not only one of professional basketball’s most treasured gems, but an internationally-renowned sports icon. With the wizardry of players who require only one name—Elgin, West, Wilt, Kareem, Magic, Shaq, Kobe—the Lakers grew from a promising Midwestern team starting afresh in the City of Angels and becoming one of the most successful corporate giants in the history of athletic competition. This definitive encyclopedia of the Lakers provides all vital data pertaining to each season of the team’s first 50 years in Los Angeles, including biographies of Hall of Famers, other great performers, and coaches; complete rosters; season-by-season schedules and statistics; draft picks; and records and individual accomplishments.

The Los Angeles Times Encyclopedia of the Lakers was compiled in 1998 on the 50th anniversary of the team -- which since its 1960 move from Minneapolis has been known as the Los Angeles Lakers. It has detailed year-by-year and player-by-player statistics, augmented by anecdotes and photos of Lakers players (from Kareem Abdul-Jabar to Wayne Yates), coaches, sportscasters and fans.

On December 12, 1891, 13 rules of a new game were posted in a YMCA gym in Springfield, Massachusetts. At each end of the floor, Dr. James A. Naismith, who had invented the game, had peach baskets nailed below a walkway that happened to be 10-feet high. Within a few days, one of Naismith's students would christen the new game "Basket Ball." Over a century ago, no one could possibly have envisioned the extraordinary changes that were going to transform Dr. Naismith's game. Who could have imagined a 6-10 George Mikan swatting shots away from the basket? Julius Erving in flight, soaring in from the free throw line for a heart-stopping stuff? Or Bob Cousy throwing a mind-boggling no-look, behind-the-back pass; Jerry West hitting a 60-foot shot with no time left in a crucial playoff game; Larry Bird's three-point prowess and Michael Jordan rising to heights - literally and figuratively - never before seen by any athlete? Who could have foreseen more than 62,000 fans crowded into the Georgia Dome to see a game between the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks? Or the titanic battles between Wilt and Russell? Or the Dream Team? The longevity of Stockton and Malone? Red Auerbach's victory cigars? Phil Jackson's Zen coaching? Or Shaquille O'Neal's powerful dunks? Who could have ever predicted talent like Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Walt Frazier, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Grant Hill, Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, and Kobe Bryant? With an Introduction by NBA Commissioner David J. Stern and a Foreword by Michael Jordan, this third edition of The Official NBA Encyclopedia captures it all: The past and the present. The complete stats and the complex personalities. Dynasties, rivalries, coaches, referees, all the pre-NBA leagues, vignettes and features by the top basketball writers in the world. Every NBA season is reviewed and individual statistics are provided for every player who has ever played in the league. An extraordinary 32-page color photo essay that captures the spirit of the game since Naismith conceived it opens this encyclopedia in an unprecedented and spectacular manner. From the peach basket to the slam dunk championship - it's all here in The Official NBA Encyclopedia, a book that's almost as exciting as a triple overtime seventh game of the NBA Finals.

"Includes 2010 championship season."--Jacket.

A unique, unfiltered memoir from the NBA champion and fifteen-time all-star looks back on his life and career, including his decision to enter the NBA draft directly out of high school, and shares his thoughts on fame, family, racism, and spirituality.

Entertaining and informative, the newly updated Britannica Student Encyclopedia helps children gain a better understanding of their world. Updated for 2015, more than 2,250 captivating articles cover everything from Barack Obama to video games. Children are sure to immerse themselves in 2,700 photos, charts, and tables that help explain concepts and subjects, as well as 1,200 maps and flags from across the globe. Britannica Student is curriculum correlated and a recent winner of the 2008 Teachers Choice Award and 2010 AEP Distinguished achievement award.

Contains essays that provide information on various elements of popular culture in the United States during the twentieth century, covering the major areas of film, music, print culture, social life, sports, television and radio, and art and performance. Arranged alphabetically from A-to-D.