(Ep086) Andrew Bernstein: Getting in Pat Riley’s Team Huddle, Capturing James and Michael Jordan on Camera, and Working on Books with Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson
After years of beatdowns by the Detroit Pistons Bad Boys, Michael Jordan finally won his first NBA title in 1992. Amidst the commotion in the Bulls’ locker room - champagne spraying, players and coaches yelling, media swarming - everyone wanted to get a defining image of MJ’s triumph, but the Finals MVP was nowhere to be seen. Lakers team photographer and co-creator of NBA Photos Andrew Bernstein was the one who snapped the definitive shot of Jordan crying with the trophy, his father James at his son’s side.
Such photographic glory was no such thing when a 20-year-old Andrew left UMass at Amherst and headed west to study in the City of Angels. He soon got a gig assisting veteran photogs for Sports Illustrated, and then managed to talk his way into photographing the 1983 All-Star Game for the League on his own, long before photographers had assistants and technicians to help them. He proved his talent and tenacity in the Forum that weekend, and was soon the official lensman for the Lakers, documenting their wins and losses against Larry Bird’s Celtics, the Shaq-Kobe-Phil Jackson three-peat, and the two titles Kobe won with Pau Gasol.
In this episode, Andrew shares:
How he talked his way into the 1983 All-Star Game assignment
What role confidence and New Jersey moxie played as he built an unsurpassed portfolio and started NBA Photos in a filing cabinet in his small apartment
What he did to make Magic Johnson reprimand him on a Converse commercial set
How he got into Pat Riley’s huddle to shoot the Showtime Lakers during timeouts
Why a shot of Michael Jordan and another of Kobe are his favorites among thousands of photos
Learn more about Andrew’s fantastic photography on his Instagram feed and listen to his insightful interviews as host of the Legends of Sport podcast.
