The story of the Los Angeles Lakers’ Showtime era will fittingly get to be told in a form of a TV drama, through HBO’s “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” series.
The show is inspired by Jeff Pearlman’s book “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty” and will be produced by Adam McKay, known for his work on blockbusters such as “Succession” and “Vice.”
“Winning Time” will chronicle the lives of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, and the Buss family, among others, who played key roles in the rise of the storied Showtime dynasty.
HBO has announced “Winning Time” will premiere on March 6 at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT on the HBO Max platform. The network also released a new trailer, featuring the reenactment of the late Dr. Jerry Buss’ purchase of the Lakers and Johnson’s selection with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft.
Welcome to the hottest show in town.#WinningTime premieres March 6 on @HBOMax. pic.twitter.com/d161k4xWCW
— Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (@winningtimehbo) February 11, 2022
Also, HBO said it will air a commercial about the show during Sunday’s broadcast of Super Bowl LVI, featuring the Cincinnati Bengals and L.A. Rams at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
John C. Reilly will play the role of Dr. Buss while Quincy Isaiah will portray Johnson in “Winning Time.”
Two more TV series about the Lakers are in production: Johnson’s four-part docuseries produced by Apple TV and Netflix’s workplace comedy centered on Jeanie Buss.
Johnson not thrilled by ‘Winning Time,’ looks forward to other Lakers series
Even though Johnson will be a big part of the “Winning Time” script, the five-time NBA champion said he isn’t looking forward to reliving the story of his Showtime Lakers through HBO’s upcoming series.
Johnson said the TV productions that Apple TV and Netflix are working on are the ones he is thrilled about.
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