Finally, some good news for Lakers fans!
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, which chronicles the Showtime-era of Los Angeles Lakers basketball, has been renewed for season two, HBO announced on April 7. The show is currently in the midst of its first season, which features team owner Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) drafting Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) #1 overall in 1979 and the team's subsequent '79-'80 season.
The show also stars Jason Clarke as legendary coach and general manager Jerry West, Solomon Hughes as six-time NBA MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Adrien Brody as coach Pat Riley and Sally Field as Jessie Buss, the mother of the team's owner.
The early '80s were a turbulent—yet inherently fascinating—time for the Lakers. The team's stars were known just as much for their headline-making moves off the court. Winning Time leaves plenty of room for the spectacle. For instance, the series shows Abdul-Jabaar's iconic role as co-pilot Roger Murdock in 1980's classic Airplane!
Based on the book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s by Jeff Pearlman, the first season of the show will barely scratch the surface of the Lakers in the '80s. Their first NBA Finals berth of the era doesn't happen until the '83-'84 season, so there's plenty of purple-and-gold drama ahead.
The series, from executive producer Adam McKay (Don't Look Up, The Big Short) has its detractors—including two of the biggest names being depicted on the show.
"First of all, you can't do a story about the Lakers without the Lakers," Magic Johnson told Variety in an April 5 interview. "The real Lakers. You gotta have the guys."
Johnson, the crown jewel of the '80s Lakers, said he refuses to watch the show because nobody from the squad itself was asked to participate.
Johnson's distaste for the project was echoed by his most esteemed teammate.
"I don't think it's worth watching. That's all I have to say. It really depicts people that I know in a very negative light that is not accurate," Abdul-Jabbar told BasketballNews.com. "I wouldn't bother watching it if you're a fan of the Lakers."
Maybe the former pros will get a call for season two?
Winning Time airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.
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