Kobe and the new Lakers dynasty - Mark Heisler

This chronicle of the Lakers professional basketball franchise traces their history from the early days in Minneapolis to their pinnacle of success in Los Angeles. It includes their achievements in the 1980s when the Showtime Lakers turned their tradition around to the tumultuous days of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

Mark Heisler covers the NBA for the Los Angeles Times. He has been on the professional basketball beat for 25 years, starting at the Philadelphia Inquirer and Bulletin, and was the winner of the Naismith Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Award in 2006. He lives in Los Angeles.