Lakers Get the Coffee Table Book Treatment, With Essays From LeBron James, Magic Johnson, More

The officially authorized tome lands on shelves on Oct. 1, right before the NBA preseason begins

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Love them or hate them, the L.A. Lakers are one of sports’ most iconic franchises, with a roster of mononymous superstars from Kareem and Magic to Shaq and Kobe. To mark the team’s illustrious history, art book publisher Taschen is releasing a large-format coffee table book featuring photos and essays from some of the team’s most famous names. Produced in collaboration with the Lakers, the book is available to preorder now and drops on Oct. 1.

The 528-page book features a foreword from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, an introduction from the Lakers’ governor Jeanie Buss, and an afterword from Phil Jackson. There are also essays from some of the team’s most notable players and coaches, including Magic Johnson, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Pau Gasol, Pat Riley, and Luka Doncic. Some of the famous courtside faces penned essays as well, including Jack Nicholson, Paula Abdul, and Flea.

In addition to photos and essays, the book traces the history of the franchise, including its origins in Minneapolis and the numerous dynasties that made them 17-time NBA champions.

“This hefty tome is a game changer for basketball books, paying homage to the heroes of the hardwood and their fans,” a Taschen release reads. “A landmark work for every Lakers fan, collector, and lover of sports. This is the definitive visual chronicle of a franchise that turned basketball into spectacle, and spectacle into history.” Lakers. An Official History of the Purple & Gold is available now from the Lakers’ shop at the Crypto.com Arena, LakersStore.com, and Taschen’s site, with availability at select retailers on Oct. 1.

The book arrives at a time of change for the team, following the departure of longtime franchise star LeBron James and the controversial sale of the team by Mark Walter to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. Regardless, the Lakers will be back on the court on Oct. 21 for their first game of the regular season, where they’ll face the Golden State Warriors.