Talk about premature hype!
The new HBO series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, revolving around the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, will be released next month, however, there are already talks in the network about adding a second season that focuses on the late 90s superstars.
The first season of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty will see Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson, John C. Reilly as the late Lakers owner Jerry Buss, Adrein Brody as Pat Riley, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar portrayed by Solomon Hughes.
HBO content chief Casey Bloys shared that the second season would be based on author Jeff Pearlman’s 2020 book, Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
The docuseries would be exclusive to the “Kobe Bryant and
Shaquille O’Neal era of the Lakers.”Pearlman released the book in the wake of Bryant’s untimely death and was met with criticism because of what some considered a messy portrayal of the late NBA star.
“The Kobe Bryant of 1996 to 2004 is not the Kobe Bryant of 2005 to January 26, 2020,” Pearlman wrote, per Time.
“He was not then the contemplative adult who raved of having four daughters. He was not then the doting husband. He was not then the Academy Award winner. He was not yet comfortable in his own skin.”
HBO however, is eager to highlight the journey into the winning of three consecutive NBA titles, the fifth team to do so in NBA history.
“Obviously basketball is a really interesting part of it, but, and I say this as a 50-year-old gay man who’s probably been to five basketball games in my life, it’s much more a human story,” says HBO president of programming Casey Bloys.
The first episode of the 10-episode first season of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty will debut on March 6 on HBO.