Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty

Good that they did throw Jerry West a bone by giving him one scene (the talk with Magic after Game 2) where he could be a rational human.

 

By the way, I thought Brody was very good as Riley in the second season, after being pretty much a non-entity in the first season.

The second season pretty much dropped the topic of Magic's promiscuity a couple episodes in.

 

They probably could have done something with the trade talk after the '86 loss to Houston, when the Worthy for Aguirre/Tarpley stuff was bandied about. I'm sure in the dramatization of it West would have been throwing things or possibly beating someone up. There could be some tension with Kareem hanging on a year or two too long. But yeah, they--and the league as a whole--were in a much more stable spot by the end of the decade. Good for the NBA, not as much for making a cable drama.

I do wish they'd made it to '85 simply because those Finals could have provided some amazing scenes and they wouldn't have even had to totally exaggerate things (though I'm sure they would have). The Memorial Day Massacre. Then the film session when Kareem sat up front and Riley tore him to shreds. Game 2 and Kareem asks Riley if he can break the team rule that said only players and coaches rode the bus and have his dad, Big Al, ride to the arena with him. Riley sees how much it means to him and allows it and then in the pregame Riley gives an incredible speech and invokes his own dad's line about someday having to take a stand and kick some ass. Vitti said there was a whole fathers thing in the pregame. Could have been very dramatic! Alas.

 

Michael Jordan was never mentioned in the series. Only one throwaway line refers to any of the Bad Boys Pistons, who would have had to become featured characters if the series extended on into the back-to-back titles in 87-88 and the pursuit for the third in 89.

 

HBO's going to do a series on the Jordan Bulls and end it after the 1990 ECF loss to the Pistons, followed by a montage explaining what happened after.

 

Can I buy back my soda machine?

 

The universe might pass.

There's anecdote in one of Biskind's books about Tarantino geeking out not merely on great cinema, but middle of the road, middling stuff that only people addicted to pop TV/movies would geek out on, and Winning Time was a bit of that for a certain segment of sports fans. I could have watched it several more seasons while acknowledging its primary virtue was creating a reason for me to wonder how it'd dramatize 85-88.

 

maybe, but with the need to draw people in, find new content and the crap that gets churned out, I think they can find a season somewhere. Unless you tell me it costs like 30 million an episode and then I get it

 

I'm sure Warners figures they are quitting while they are ahead. The show will only get more expensive to produce and at this point is unlikely to attract new subscribers.

What team/organization would be a good follow up? 1990s Cowboys Please!!!!! Hell, start the first episode with Jerry firing Landry.

 

Wow, too bad on the cancelation. Just started watching season 2 this weekend. Fun show. Lots of terrible shows get more than two seasons.....

 

Hadn’t started Season 2 yet, but Season 1 was just so busy at times. It often felt that they were trying to cram 100 ideas in per episode.

 

Something on the life of Kobe Bryant - not the Lakers, just him - would attract ratings. A lot of ground to cover.

Ditto with LeBron James. I get the sense Kobe is more compelling with audiences.