Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty

Will be interesting to see what they can do with future seasons. The on-court stuff is mostly awful -- unless the 1980 Lakers really did score 97 percent of their points on alley-oops -- and the later Showtime years didn't have the off-the-court intrigue of the 1980 season. 1981 you get Magic's injury and a first-round exit to Houston. Not too exciting. 81-82 you'd have the Westhead drama, the insane West-Buss-Riley press conference and then Riley taking over but then they rolled to the championship. Is the Nixon-West drama worth an episode? The veterans freezing out Byron when he comes over? Kareem dealing with aftereffects of his devastating house fire would be intriguing. But otherwise? The possible Worthy for Aguirre trade? Are people caring about Rambis' angst when A.C. Green replaces him in the starting lineup? You could have the misery of the '84 Finals but again that's mostly on-court stuff. I guess we could see Magic drowning his sorrows in the company of 16 women after the '84 debacle. The '80 season was uniquely qualified to offer lots of off-court intrigue. The rise of the dynasty being a nice hook. The actual dynasty itself had plenty of on-court theatrics and highs and lows but the relative stability doesn't seem to lend itself to multiple seasons of the show. Which means it'll probably run for seven seasons and end with Randy Pfund taking over.

 

If S3 is the first LAL-BOS matchup, you have to at least get to ‘85. What timeframe they choose to use is the unknown.

 

If there is another season, do they make Jerry West even more of a cartoon just to make him angrier? Have him become a serial killer or something? I would watch the hell out of that.

“Hey guys, has anyone seen Paul Mokeski since we left the Forum?”

 

There are some terrible franchises that would make for fascinating series as well. What has gone on in Houston since Bob McNair died has been crazy. How do you alienate J.J. Watt, who did so much during the hurricane he was hailed as a national hero? The Jets and Parcells bolting for NE. The Broncos going from Tebow to Manning. The Jags last season. The Washington Football Team/Commanders alone could run for years.

 

There's no need to be comprehensive. I would pitch three more TV seasons:
—one built around Lakers-Celtics, covering multiple years,
—one with the Bad Boy pistons series
—one with Lakers/Bulls and Magic contracting HIV

 

I wish HBO would do a dramatic series about the 1986-1987 Hartford Whalers and their shocking first-place finish. It should be called "Prince of Whales."

 

Gotta have Magic and Isiah kissing each other

 

As Paul Mokeski is shocked to discover he was murdered in 1981.

 

Start each season with a montage to cover the in-between or intersperse during episodes?

 

How far does the book go?

 

If I remember correctly, the very beginning of the series was based in 1991 at the time Magic made his HIV announcement.

I figure that's the ultimate end game for whatever they do.

 

I would like to apologize and offer a full retraction.

Mr. West’s lawyers have reached out to me and have required me to say that in fact Jerry West did not murder and eat Paul Mokeski in a trainer’s room of the LA Forum in 1982.