Episode 21 – Garrett Boorojian and Roland Lazenby discuss relationship building in a team environment.
The movie Air, by Hollywood Oscar–winning actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, was recently released in the United States. There’s brief overlap in Garrett’s interview with Roland when Roland brought up Sonny Vaccaro (portrayed by Damon) who signed Michael Jordan to his first Air Jordan shoe deal at Nike. Roland discussed his version of storylines that were featured in ESPN’s and Netflix’s The Last Dance.
Roland’s first-hand experience, knowledge and conversations during the Bulls’ and Lakers’ dynasties surrounding their dominant and influential figures took Garrett and his listeners back in time during the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s in the National Basketball Association.
Roland’s personal accounts helped him narrate the major headlines that occurred during those times. Garrett and his listeners gained a lot of insight as they learned about Roland’s close associations and conversations with Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, Jerry Krause, Jerry Reinsdorf, Johnny Bach, Tex Winter, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, George Mumford, Scott Howard–Cooper, Billy Packer, Terry Holland, James Worthy and other key figures.
Regarding the Bulls’ and Lakers’ dynasties, during their interview, Roland highlighted the unique dynamic of relationship building that took place from his perspective:
“These are complicated people. They do build relationships. And often, they build very complicated relationships. But they are bound together by the challenge. They are bound together by the life… these insular worlds… I call them the tube… You’re so in the tube that is your world… your whole atmosphere… you’re competing in the tube… these personalities who are in the tube… it’s almost like they aren’t everyday people.” – Roland Lazenby
Roland is the author of over 45 notable sports books such as Michael Jordan: The Life, Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant, Mindgames: Phil Jackson’s Long Strange Journey, The Show: The Inside Story of the Spectacular Los Angeles Lakers in the Words of Those Who Lived It, Blood on the Horns: The Long Strange Ride of Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, Bull Run: The Story of the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls, the Greatest Team in Basketball History, and many others.
Garrett talked to Roland on the podcast about when he and his father met Michael Jordan when Garrett was 17 years old at the 2005 HoopTee Celebrity Golf Classic in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Roland talked to Garrett about relationship building in the context of emotional intelligence:
“It’s all wrapped up in the secret of emotional intelligence… I write all my biographies as if I’m pursuing a mystery. And there is a great mystery in every life. And there is a great mystery to every relationship, and you really sort of unpack the details at the time.” – Roland Lazenby
On the podcast, Roland summed up relationship building as it relates to Michael Jordan:
“I think Michael has provided us probably with some of the most unique relationship building in the history of competitive sports.” – Roland Lazenby
Interesting connections with my other guests:
– Roland was Seth Greenberg’s (Episode 14) daughter Paige’s professor at Virginia Tech University.
– George Raveling, the former Nike executive and bodyguard for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who’s inducted into the College and Basketball Halls of Fame, is portrayed in the movie Air by the Hollywood actor Marlon Wayans. Raveling is one Len Elmore’s (Episode 9) mentors.
Roland taught at Virginia Tech University and Radford University. He lives in Virginia. Roland’s Magic: The Life of Earvin “Magic” Johnson will be released in stores on October 24th.