
Press Box Chronicles Jerry Tarkanian: How The Las Vegas Mafia Helped Start The LA Lakers Showtime Dynasty
Dec 22, 2025
19:20
Today, we're diving into a story that quite literally changed the course of basketball history. It's 1979, and legendary UNLV head coach Jerry Tarkanian, who's coming off an incredible Final Four run, is approached by then-Los Angeles Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke, and soon-to-be Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss, to be the head coach of the team. What happens next changed the course of basketball history, giving birth to the Showtime Lakers of the NBA and the Runnin' Rebels of college basketball. Have any guests you want to see on the show? Have any questions for me?
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