Q+A Pam Shriver And George Lazenby The 40-year-old ESPN tennis analyst, and five-time Wimbledon doubles champ, wed the 63-year-old onetime James Bond (On Her Majesty's Secret Service) last year.
SI: Three years ago friends introduced you at the players'
restaurant at Wimbledon. How did it go?
Lazenby: The sorry story is, I couldn't get a date at the time.
Pam was just standing there, and this guy pointed at her. So I
went for it. Shriver: What a romantic!
SI: Have you ever slipped and called him James?
Shriver: No. Lazenby: But a lot of other girls have. (Laughs.)
SI: You're both golf fanatics. Do you play each other?
Lazenby: Yeah, we do. But I'm not as serious about golf as Pam
is. Shriver: Yeah, right. He plays every day, but he's not
serious about it. Lazenby: But I don't take it so seriously. I
mean, Pam has got this professionalism in her blood. Shriver:
Yeah, I get into the competitive mode a lot easier. I'm a seven
handicap. George is about a nine.
SI: You and Martina Navratilova won 79 doubles titles, including
20 Grand Slam events. Are you comfortable saying you two were the
best doubles team of all time?
Shriver: Yes, I am. Lazenby: So am I. (Laughs.)
SI: In her prime, how does Martina do against Serena?
Shriver: Martina wins because she's tactically sounder from all
parts of the court. Martina's lefthandedness, her ability to
handle pace and her volleys would carry her through.
SI: George, you hadn't seen a Bond movie since 1969 before
attending the Die Another Day premiere last November in London.
Why did you break your embargo?
Lazenby: Well, I thought I might get a knighthood out of it. They
knighted those other two Bonds, so I thought, Geez, I might have
a chance.
SI: You live just around the block from Kobe Bryant in L.A. Ever
see him strolling with his baby daughter?
Shriver: No, but we've seen him drive up in his car. Lazenby:
Yeah, it was a Bentley convertible--and it was a little out of my
small-change range.
SI: Do you ever play tennis against one another?
Lazenby: Don't ask. Shriver: George is looking to win his first
game. But he did get to 30-15 once on his serve. --Richard Deitsch
COLOR PHOTO: PAUL HARRIS/ZUMA PRESS INC. Kobe's wacky neighbors
For more from Shriver and Lazenby, go to si.com/scorecard.