HBO’s dramatic series ‘Winning Time’ which focused on the ‘Showtime’ era of the Los Angeles Lakers and their trials throughout the 1979-80 season, was an entertaining, yet controversial piece of television. As tends to be the case with movies and television inspired by real events, some facts and stories were shifted in order to make things more dramatic for the sake of the story and some of those real-life people did not care for their depictions.
But the show was an entertaining one, even garnering an Emmy nomination for cinematography and it was announced that a second season of the show was picked up. And now it looks as if Season 2 of ‘Winning Time’ could be coming to the airwaves soon.
According to Jeff Sneider of The Ankler, season 2 is set to premiere on HBO in either the Spring or Summer of this year with heavy promotion expected during the NBA playoffs:
Hearing Season 2 of WINNING TIME will hit HBO this Spring/Summer, with heavy promotion again timed to the NBA playoffs. Loved Season 1, can't wait for it to return (along with BARRY and, hopefully, CURB). pic.twitter.com/43bzOVV16j
— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) March 21, 2023
This makes a lot of sense as obviously basketball fans are those who will be most interested in the show and the playoffs bring a massive audience for HBO to promote.
The first season of ‘Winning Time’ focused primarily on the first season of what would ultimately become known as the Showtime era. Things such as Dr. Jerry Buss purchasing the team and the financial concerns upon doing so, as well as the drafting of Magic Johnson and his growth both on and off the court, were major storylines with the season ending with the Lakers winning the 1980 NBA Championship and Magic being named NBA Finals MVP.
Season 2 of ‘Winning Time’ is expected to pick up right where the first season left off, focusing on the following season. The dynamic between Lakers coach Paul Westhead and assistant Pat Riley as well as Johnson dealing with an injury will likely be main focuses.
Nevertheless, if it is anything like the first season, the second season of ‘Winning Time’ will be an extremely entertaining watch for anyone who loves basketball and the Lakers.
Darvin Ham believes playoff race has forced Lakers to lock in more
The Showtime era is one of the most successful times of any NBA Franchise ever, but the current edition of the Lakers are in a fight to make the playoffs. Every game matters for this team and that kind of pressure can wear down a team, but head coach Darvin Ham believes it has caused them to lock in more.
Ham spoke on the pressure of this push to the playoffs, noting that he doesn’t see any sort of extra stress on his team. On the contrary, Ham and the coaching staff sees more hunger in the team and he believes it has forced the Lakers to not get comfortable.
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