Isaiah (center) with John C. Reilly as Jerry Buss and Jason Clarke as Jerry West in “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty”
The 10-episode drama series “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” is essential viewing for basketball and NBA (National Basketball Association) aficionados, but you don’t have to be a fan or a cager to get enthralled by its exhilarating “dramedic” antics.
The series, which premieres on HBO and HBO Go at 10 a.m. on Monday, is adapted by cocreators Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht from Jeff Pearlman’s book “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.”We’ve seen eight of the show’s 10 episodes so far and can’t wait to see how it wraps up its story, which follows the ascent of the Lakers to basketball glory after flashy womanizer Dr. Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly, terrific in the role) decides to purchase the team in 1979 and buys into a league on the brink of ruin.
The franchise has since become one of the most successful teams in basketball, having won 17 championships—the most in NBA history. Its biggest rival, the Boston Celtics, also won 17 times.
MVP-worthy portrayal
Perpetually smiling rookie and point guard Magic Johnson (newcomer Quincy Isaiah, delivering in an MVP-worthy portrayal) is as much a crucial anchor to this story as Jerry Buss, his daughter Jeanie (Hadley Robinson) and Claire Rothman (Gaby Hoffmann). Viewers will eventually meet the heavy-drinking Lakers coach and NBA legend Jerry West (Jason Clarke), player-turned-coach Pat Riley (Adrien Brody), coach Jack McKinney (Tracy Letts), Jerry’s mom Jessie Buss (Sally Field), center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes), and star point guard Norm Nixon (played by his son DeVaughn).
Inevitably crossing their paths are Magic’s former college rival Larry Bird (Sean Patrick Small), Celtics head coach Red Auerbach (Michael Chiklis), coach Paul Westhead (Jason Segel) and the league’s many Jacks and Jerrys. There will also be recurring appearances from Jack Nicholson (played by Max E. Williams), Richard Pryor (Mike Epps) and Paula Abdul (Carina Conti).
Adrien Brody as Pat Riley—PHOTOS COURTESY OF HBO GO
Frenzied, fast-paced
The series’ frenzied, fast-paced action doesn’t always take place on the hard court—or in front of the cameras: In fact, Reilly replaced original actor Michael Shannon, who dropped out of the project a week before the pilot shoot, helmed by director-producer Adam McKay (“Don’t Look Up”). Michael reportedly didn’t like McKay’s fourth wall-breaking propensity and storytelling style.
But if you think the series is all just fun and hoops, you’ve got another think coming. “Winning Time” has a lot of insightful behind-the-scenes drama. It’s bold enough not to shy away from its source material’s “unpleasant” aspects, like its very first scene, which takes place on Nov. 5, 1991—when Magic was diagnosed with HIV!
When we attended the HBO and HBO Max Winter TCA press tour last month, showrunner Max Borenstein explained the show’s winking, fourth wall-breaking tone.
“Well, we were trying to have fun above all,” he said. “It’s a show about showmanship. This was the moment when sports became entertainment. That was Jerry Buss’ vision for the Lakers, so finding the most showman-like way of taking the audience into that journey was the reason for all that.”
Lucky
Borenstein said they also lucked out on casting its young leads.
“I think finding Solomon and Quincy was a tremendous stroke of good fortune for us because it’s obviously hard to cast a Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or any NBA player from a basketball standpoint,” he said. “Someone might be able to play or fake it or look right for the part, but those guys are such iconic figures.
“Kareem is an intellectual, and Magic has got movie-star charisma, and there aren’t that many actors with movie-star charisma. Finding someone who could fit the bill as Magic Johnson and exude that energy was not easy. So we were lucky in that regard.”
When asked to explain why they tapped Pearlman’s book for the series and if it was indeed true that people didn’t immediately take Magic seriously as a professional player because of his sunny disposition, Adam said, “Yeah, but what was so amazing about Magic was that he was this blend of joy and skill. We know that smile and his incredible creativity, but it’s the kind of style that people at the time rolled their eyes at.
“In relation to that, one of the reasons why Max, [producer] Rodney Barnes, myself and Jim Hecht were drawn to the book was because it was able to integrate a lot of different cultures into this amazing thing that became the NBA.”
As for the actors, John explained the learning curve he had to tread to create a character that often breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the audience.
“I had to do it quite a bit in the show,” he quipped. “And I had some preparation by playing Oliver Hardy, who’s one of the greatest two-camera actors I’ve ever seen. It was almost like you had to imagine some qualities for your scene partner, which is the camera in this case.
“Normally, when you’re acting with a fellow actor, you can see what they’re giving off. But when you’re looking into the camera, it’s not ‘no one’ that you’re talking to—you’re talking to everyone! So, I tried to be as specific and as intimate as I could be to build that relationship from episode to episode. It’s a way to get the audience on your side, too.”
Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson
Dream come true
For his part, Quincy said it was a dream come true to play Magic onscreen: “Of course it was! My first love is basketball, that’s what I’ve always wanted to do. So, for me to portray one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game is incredible!
“But I also had to make sure that any basketball-playing onscreen is on point. If nothing else, [at least] I looked like Magic on the hard court (laughs).
“Look, Magic is Magic, and Kareem is Kareem … they’re icons for a reason. It’s almost impossible to emulate that, but we tried to get a little essence of who they are on the court. I feel like that goes a long way.”
Solomon interjected, “Absolutely. There was the acting component and the physical aspect of trying to become a silhouette of these mountains of men. Our advantage is that at least there’s YouTube now.
“In this age of information, there’s lots of game footage, etc. Just watching how they move on the court was a big help for us. But there was also the freedom of knowing that no one can shoot a skyhook like Kareem. So, I said, ‘I’ll just give it my best shot and just leave it there.’”
Pressure
There was also a lot of weight on DeVaughn’s shoulder because, well, he’s playing his father.
“Yeah, there was a lot of pressure on me, man,” DeVaughn said, laughing. “I remember one scene that we did, and it started with me shooting a three-pointer, and I was talking to myself, ‘Look, man. You can’t let your dad down and you can’t let the production down. You’ve got to nail it!’
“And with the support of the cast and me just feeling immersed in the environment of the time period, I was like, ‘Let’s go, baby!’ And Adrien and Jason were like, ‘Man, you hit all your shots!’”
Another hotshot character is Pat Riley, played by Adrien. Asked if he ever got to speak with the famous coach about his characterization, the Oscar-winning actor said, “No, Pat and I haven’t discussed it, but he knows I’m a big fan. I grew up in Queens, but I was a fan.
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“The interesting thing is, I’ve probably been to more Lakers games in my life than anyone because, at that point in my life, I had moved to LA to seek out an acting career.
“I had made friends there who ended up having tickets and bringing me with them. In LA, I actually got to sit with the Lakers a lot, which was amazing.
“But Pat Riley has such a complex, wonderful life. We all feel like we know who he is because he’s left such an indelible place in our hearts and minds.
“And he’s such a leader, not only in this sport, but also because he carries so much authority. There’s been a lot of ammunition for me, and I have tremendous admiration for him. So I hope to have done him justice.”