The series “Winning Time” which traces the exploits of the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA has been canceled by HBO.
No one expected its cancellation, and it is therefore an understatement to say that the announcement of its termination was experienced as a great shock for all fans of this sports series, broadcast in the United States on the cable channel HBO and on the Max platform.
The best series are not necessarily the ones that everyone is talking about. The proof was once again given to us with Winning Time, subtitled The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, available in France on Prime Video, via the Warner Pass subscription.
This biographical series adapted from the work Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s by Jeff Pearlman traces the NBA epic of the Los Angeles Lakers in the early 1980s.
Implicitly, the program paints a realistic portrait of America, and a critique of racial inequalities in a society favoring individual success over that of the collective. The series also depicts the transformation that saw NBA players go from the status of simple athletes to that of media superstars.
An all-star cast
Supported by a high-end cast, Winning Time stars John C. Reilly in the role of Jerry Buss, a real estate tycoon deciding to buy the Lakers team at a high price. Not hesitating to invest all his fortune in the sporting success of his team, the latter also intends to transform basketball into real popular entertainment.
HBO
To realize his ambition, Jerry Buss decides to bet on a young raw talent, Earvin Johnson Jr., better known by the nickname Magic Johnson. Played by Quincy Isaiah, the latter is both a basketball prodigy, but also a young man who intends to enjoy all aspects of the good life available to him.
His extroverted personality is the complete opposite of that of the team’s other star, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes). This veteran player, top points scorer in the NBA (record that he will keep until February 2023, before being dethroned by king LeBron James) is, for his part, a quiet force, sharing his free time between his readings, the practice of Islam and his passion for jazz.
To get the best out of Magic Johnson, it was essential that a rival be pitted against him, and what better opponent for a player of his talent than Larry Bird. This winger from deep America wears the colors of the Boston Celtics, a team largely supported by supporters from the working classes. And therefore totally opposed to the Lakers, and their elitist image of a Hollywood team.
HBO
Beyond the Lakers’ performances on the court, the series also features iconic Lakers leaders. Thus, Adrien Brody lends his features to Pat Riley, a former player flirting with alcoholism, who is inevitably offered the opportunity to become assistant coach to Paul Westhead (Jason Segel) then the position of head coach of the team.
In a larger-than-life performance, Jason Clarke plays Jerry West, an icon of the NBA (whose silhouette is also featured in the logo) but also a magnificent loser, since he only has one victory out of nine finals played as a player with the Lakers.
He thus devotes limitless hatred to the Celtics, and to their no less emblematic president Red Auerbach (Michael Chiklis).
Several female characters also occupy roles of great importance. Starting with Claire Rothman (Gaby Hoffmann), a woman in the shadows but nevertheless indispensable to the Lakers, unfortunately sidelined in season 2. Or even Jeanie Buss (Hadley Robinson), Jerry’s daughter and current president of the team .
HBO
A worrying policy change
Winning Time breaks the traditional codes of the biopic thanks to an aesthetic alternating between fictional scenes and reconstructions in the form of mockumentaries. On multiple occasions, characters break the fourth wall by addressing the audience in front of the camera, while cartoons provide an ironic look at the plot of the series.
In addition to a falling out between director Adam McKay and his favorite actor Will Ferrell, the series has also been at the center of several controversies. Many Lakers personalities have spoken out about the liberties taken by the series with the real facts, notably Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, author of a murderous article against the series.
Unfortunately, the program will not be offered the opportunity to complete its plot. The broadcast this Sunday, September 17 of the seventh episode of season 2 of Winning Time marked the unexpected end of the series.
In a series of interviews given to our American colleagues, the creators of the series confirmed that the end of the series is not the one expected. Indeed, the very first episode of the program opened with the revelation of Magic Johnson’s HIV status, suggesting that Winning Time would more directly address the latter’s post-career.
The series will therefore remain unfinished, despite the epilogue clumsily added at the end of this final episode to bring a semblance of conclusion to the plot.
To continue exploring the many stories left unanswered, you will therefore have to fall back on the documentary series They Call Me Magic (AppleTV+) and Legacy – The True Story of the LA Lakers (Disney+).
Many fans have expressed their dissatisfaction following the surprise cancellation of Winning Time, although it was very popular with the public (4.1/5 on its AlloCiné profile). Some Internet users have also expressed their fears that this decision heralds a change in HBO’s policy, which until now had always prioritized the quality of a program over its audiences…
The two seasons of Winning Time can be found now on Prime Video, via the Warner Pass subscription.
Discover the list of all the series currently available on the platform!