“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” wants to be a fast-paced, funny look at one of sports history’s most famous teams. It mostly gets there, but it never quite lands the way it promises.
Trailer, via Warner Bros. Entertainment.
Buss, West, and Johnson Carry It
John C. Reilly plays Jerry Buss as a larger-than-life businessman who built a dynasty around winning and spectacle. Jason Clarke’s Jerry West is the gruff, brilliant coach who built the team into a machine. Quincy Isaiah’s Magic Johnson arrives as a rookie and quickly becomes the center of attention. Together, the three actors carry the show’s emotional weight.
Adrien Brody plays Pat Riley as a sharp-tongued strategist, and Gaby Hoffmann rounds out the ensemble as Claire Rothman. Jason Segel’s Paul Westhead is a comic presence, and Quincy Isaiah’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gets his due alongside Johnson.
Where the Story Goes Wrong
The show is a dramatization, but it treats real events as if they were facts. Several former NBA players and basketball historians have criticized the series for getting key details wrong. They argue the show misrepresents the nature of the relationship between Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Spencer Haywood, and they say the characterization of Jerry West is inaccurate.
These criticisms land. A show about sports history should get its history right, and the series falls short on that count.
The Pilot and Its Aftermath
The pilot was directed by Adam McKay, and it set the tone for what followed: fast, loud, and unapologetically theatrical. HBO renewed the series for a second season in April 2022, and it premiered on August 6, 2023. The second season covers the years between 1980 and 1984, a period of transition for the franchise.
The renewal came despite the show’s flaws. That speaks to the power of its premise: a team that dominated the league while also dominating the public eye. The series knows how to balance on-court action with backstage drama, and it rarely misses a beat when it commits to either.
Casting and Behind the Scenes
The casting process was long and complicated. Jason Clarke and Michael Shannon were initially cast as Jerry West and Jerry Buss, but Shannon left due to creative differences. John C. Reilly took over as Buss. Will Ferrell pursued the role of Buss, but Adam McKay chose Reilly instead, a decision that reportedly ended Ferrell’s friendship with McKay.
Quincy Isaiah and Solomon Hughes were cast as Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after an extensive search. Other additions came steadily through 2021 and 2022, with Rory Cochrane, Danny Burstein, and Thomas Mann joining the cast along the way.
The Verdict
“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” is a show that knows what it wants to be: a glossy, entertaining look at a legendary team. It delivers on that promise, but it stumbles when it reaches for historical accuracy. The performances are strong, the pacing is quick, and the humor lands more often than it misses. But the show’s willingness to bend history for dramatic effect leaves a sour taste.
It’s a show worth watching for its craft, but one that falls short of greatness because it refuses to respect the truth of the story it tells.
Key Facts Box
- Premiere: March 6, 2022
- Final episode: September 17, 2023
- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 17 total
- Creator: Jim Hecht and Max Borenstein
- Network: HBO
- Based on: Showtime by Jeff Pearlman
The series was canceled after two seasons, leaving behind a record of ambition that did not always match its execution.
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