HBO takes look at the exploits of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers championship teams in a fun and fast-paced new original series, Winning Time: The Rise of Lakers Dynasty, debuting March 6.
The series follows the “Showtime” Lakers NBA squad and it’s charismatic and somewhat outlandish roster of players led by Earvin “Magic” Johnson, played impeccably by Quincy Isaiah. Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) serves as the catalyst for the team's success and subsequent fall.
The hard-partying and womanizing Buss’ outlook on life is defined early in the first episode when he exclaims in earshot of his blonde bedmate: “If there are two things in this world that make me believe in God, it’s sex and basketball.” The series follows Buss as he financially schemes to purchase the Lakers and the team’s Forum arena before drafting Johnson with the first pick in the1979 NBA Draft.
Johnson’s arrival doesn’t necessarily sit well with Lakers coach Jerry West (Jason Clarke), team starting point guard Norm Nixon (DeVaughn Nixon) or All-Star center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes), creating a dynamic that would normally destroy a team's winning chemistry. Yet the Lakers find a way to thrive in spite of itself, engineering a magical run of playoff and championship appearances throughout the 1980s.
Winning Time uses documentary footage of the period, animation elements and even text features to help visually explore the team's success, as well as the crazy and often destructive elements that defined it and the culture during that time. Executive producer Adam McKay also breaks TV's fourth wall throughout the series by having some of the main characters step out of scene and talk directly to the viewer. While a bit vexing at first, it eventually blends into the overall style and flow of the series.
You don’t have to be a basketball fan to enjoy Winning Time, which will keep viewers enthralled throughout its 10-episode run. The series debuts on HBO March 6, followed by additional episodes on subsequent Sundays, according to the network. ■
