Los Angeles Lakers × Taschen

I had the honor of pitching a design for an upcoming book on the history of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most storied and successful franchises in NBA history, known for their iconic legacy, star players, and championship victories. This was the first design pitch I’ve ever been invited to, so I approached it with the understanding that selection was unlikely—but I gave it my best shot regardless. ¶ Since the book hadn’t been written yet, I relied on my own writing along with Wikipedia to craft the content. Inspired by the blueprints of the Lakers’ arena and the visual language of basketball cards, the table of contents and essay pages are both technical and deeply rooted in the Lakers’ history. The table of contents is structured by years, with short introductions contained within the championship banners hanging in the rafters of the Lakers’ home court. Similarly, the essay pages feature the jerseys that hang there as well, with labels indicating that each player who wore them has contributed an essay to this oversized coffee table book. ¶ The final three spreads were designed for the foreword, written by Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Drawing on his position as the team’s center, I titled that section “A Foreword by a Center,” paying tribute to both his influence on the team and the book itself. ¶