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March 6, 2022 25 mins

In the summer of 1979, as President Jimmy Carter lamented an American “crisis of confidence” and the NBA worried over declining attendance and TV ratings, two visionaries — rookie point guard Magic Johnson and new L.A. Lakers owner Jerry Buss — forged a marriage made in basketball heaven. 

In the series premiere of “Binge Sesh,” author Jeff Pearlman joins hosts Matt Brennan and Kareem Maddox to discuss how a generational talent and a born salesman came together to create the Showtime Lakers, the dynasty that defined a decade, birthed the modern NBA and inspired HBO’s new drama series “Winning Time.”

For the podcast transcript, production stills, real-life photos and links to much more, visit the episode page on latimes.com.

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