In the debut season of HBO’s “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” it took five episodes before any professional basketball game was played. The show, created by Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht, focuses on the dominant “Showtime” Los Angeles Lakers team of the 1980s, led by Magic Johnson. While the first season delved into locker-room rivalries, boardroom subplots, and the business of team owner Jerry Buss, it wasn’t heavily focused on on-court competition. The second season, which recently premiered on HBO’s Max service, takes a different approach. It speeds through four years of Laker history in its first episode, compressing an entire NBA season. This rapid pacing is characteristic of streaming-exclusive television, which often rushes to deliver more plot to avoid cancellation. The “Winning Time” format creates a whirlwind of information, cramming a wealth of ’80s NBA facts into a limited number of episodes.
The initial launch of “Winning Time” received praise as a potentially significant HBO drama. Produced by Adam McKay, who also achieved success with “Succession,” the show features a star-studded cast including John C. Reilly, Adrien Brody, Jason Segel, and Jason Clarke. While the first season faced some criticism from the NBA community for inaccuracies, it garnered enough attention to warrant a renewal. Subsequent seasons aim to explore the sprawling narrative of the Showtime Lakers. However, Season 1 merely scratched the surface of notable events from that era, such as Pat Riley’s managerial career and Magic Johnson’s rivalry with Larry Bird. It served as an appetizer to the main event.
In contrast, Season 2 of “Winning Time” attempts to cover a lot of ground, spanning from 1980 to 1984 in just seven episodes. This condensed storytelling feels frantic. While Season 1 focused on Buss’s mortgage application for the L.A. Forum, Season 2 feels like a glossy Wikipedia page, throwing essential details at viewers without much nuance.
Despite its shortcomings, Quincy Isaiah’s portrayal of Magic Johnson and Solomon Hughes’ portrayal of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar remain the show’s biggest assets. Both actors skillfully embody the athletes’ contrasting energies without resorting to caricature. Sean Patrick Small, who plays Larry Bird, receives more material in this season as his backstory is fleshed out, but his character primarily serves as a high-scoring rival to Johnson.
However, the characters surrounding Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar lack depth and often fall into stereotypes. Jerry Buss is portrayed as a carefree businessman who takes risks and appreciates beautiful women. General Manager Jerry West is a stubborn former star prone to swearing. Coach Paul Westhead is an intellectual with little empathy for his players, while his deputy, Pat Riley, waits for the head-coach position everyone knows he will eventually obtain. Despite some attempts to develop characters like Jerry’s daughter, Jeanie, and Johnson’s girlfriend, Cookie, the show heavily revolves around male egos.
The second season of “Winning Time” conveys a sense of inevitability, unlike the first season. The subsequent years follow a smooth trajectory for the Lakers, with strong supporting actors surrounding Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar, and Riley eventually becoming the head coach. While there are behind-the-scenes tales of infighting and romantic drama, these elements feel like sensational filler for a familiar story. The Lakers dominate the ’80s, with Johnson and Bird’s rivalry defining the era. However, it begs the question: Can any NBA narrative sustain an engaging drama series? While the sport has witnessed compelling journeys to victory for superstars like Shaq and Kobe, LeBron James, and Steph Curry, it may be better suited for future documentaries when athletes are more willing to share candid stories. Despite its occasional intrigue, “Winning Time” offers a valuable lesson about sports narratives—nothing quite compares to the real thing, no matter how many star players are involved.
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