Best selling author and ex-sportswriter Jeff Pearlman dropped a new book on Tuesday – thanks for the copy Random House – entitled Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.

While I am no fan of today’s NBA game, I was a huge Celtics fan back in the 80’s and Showtime is one fun ride back to the day of real rivalries, outlandish personalities and great basketball.

Here’s what I learned: Jerry Buss was one crazy dude, Pat Riley’s not a genius, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hates white people, A.C. Green was indeed a virgin, Magic Johnson was not and a coked-out Spencer Hayward once tried to have his coach killed.

Good stuff.

Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s is out now and sure beats watching today’s Lakers.

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With the Academy Awards being handed out Sunday – have you seen any of these flicks? – let’s take a look at the jocks who eventually made their way from the field, the court, and the gym to star on the silver screen. While it’s not quite the Oscars, let’s hand out our Golden Turban award to the top acting performance of all time by an athlete.

With apologies to Space Jam fans, O.J. Simpson and Terry Bradshaw’s ass, the nominees are:

5. Alex Karras – Blazing Saddles: Karras, the former Detroit Lions and future “star” of Webster, may be most remembered for punching out a horse in the classic Mel Brooks western. Let’s see Tom Hanks do that!

4. Bob Uecker – Major League: The former major league baseball player went on to star in beer commercials, Mr. Belvedere and a bunch of other terrible roles, but he stole the show as Harry Doyle in Major League.

3. Carl Weathers – Rocky: Weathers played seven games for the Oakland Raiders back in the 70’s before becoming Apollo Creed and tragically dying at the hands of Ivan Drago.

2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – Game of Death: Jabbar may have been scored 38,387 NBA points, but he also had memorable roles in Airplane! and left an interesting impression on Bruce Lee in Game of Death.

And the Golden Turban goes to:

1. Arnold Schwarzenegger – Terminator: In between being Mr. Universe and the governor of California, Ahhnold channeled Conan the Barbarian, battled a three-breasted woman, jingled all the way and chased John Connors through space and time. How he never won an Oscar for Hercules in New York is beyond us.