“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty”: What Lakers Fans Need Right Now

If you’re a basketball fan like myself, you might feel overwhelmed right now.  Players are dropping 40 and 50 point games left and right in the NBA, March Madness is creeping  up with all the game winners and crazy celebrations, and high school basketball state championships are right around the corner.  But, I have something else to satisfy your entertainment needs.

Enter a new HBO series (yes, HBO makes shows other than Game of Thrones and Euphoria) called Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, a new miniseries that chronicles the infamous 80s Lakers team from when the team was bought by American businessman, Jerry Buss.  

The series takes place in a time where the NBA was not very popular and, believe it or not, was on the verge of bankruptcy. The Lakers’ success throughout the decade might’ve saved the league from going under. The legendary John C. Reily plays Jerry Buss while Quincy Isaiah plays Magic Johnson, who is a very convincing look-alike to the Lakers legend.

Before you watch the series, understand that a lot of the things are dramatized to make the show more appealing.  I don’t actually believe that Jerry West and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were actually how the show perceives them to be, or that Dr. Buss was that “relaxed” as a businessman. But, it was the 80s, so what do I know?  I also love how the first episode depicts Jerry West’s feelings towards his multiple failures in the Finals against the Boston Celtics.  Jerry West was way before my time and I don’t even think I could watch his highlights even if I wanted to so being able to see that, pleases my NBA fandom.

My honest opinion after watching the first episode is that I love it.  If you’re a Lakers fan, you should watch this series to get your mind off of the current Lakers season and reminisce on the glory days (because it isn’t looking too good). You don’t have to be a basketball fan (or Lakers fan) to enjoy this series either. This is just very good TV that depicts a time in our country, which had a big impact on the sports world for decades to follow. I’m going to be hooked on this show for a couple of weeks.