Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty

Was Jerry Buss this savvy?

 

Nope. This is half fiction.

 

John C. Reilly is tremendous

 

There had been a few hints that Jerry West wasn't quite the fair-haired clean-cut choirboy of his public image, but they're going full throttle to make him look like a dog (or dawg).

Wilt in particular dropped a few little tidbits in his various books that pointed out that he (Wilt) was always depicted in the media as an insatiable poon hound, other "clean cut family men" did plenty of banging on the side.

Actually, now that this series has been green lit to go multiple seasons, it would be cool for them to do a flashback episode from the viewpoint of West (as well as Sharman and to some extent Jack Kent Cooke) of the Laker Era of Wilt, West and Elgin (1969-74).

That group only won one title, of course, but they dominated NBA headlines for half a decade there, often as the "imposing obstacle" for the legendary championship teams including Russell and the last of the Celtics dynasty in 1969, the Knicks of 1970, the up and coming Bucks and Kareem in '71 and then the second wind of the Knicks abortive coulda been dynasty in '73. And in the one shining moment in 1971-72 the Lakers really did put it together and won the title, they were arguably the greatest team in NBA history up to that time.

 

I realize that this year's version of the series is completely finished and in the can, but goddamn, yeah, the fourth-wall shit is getting annoying. It works when you do it maybe once an episode, as a surprise; not so much when you do it every three minutes.

 

2nd episode not as enjoyable as 1st; too much Magic in Lansing, let's get to LA and start Showtime already. Really feel for West; I admired him from afar when he was killing the Warriors; he's always come across as a class guy who was his worst enemy (I read most of West by West) and has never trumpeted himself as anything more than a regular guy. Yet here they are making a mockery of him and most people will view him this way.

 

Having fun watching it while also rolling my eyes about a dozen times an hour. (I say this while staring into the camera and smirking while a giant DING sound goes off and the words HE WAS A SHOWTIME FANBOI AND MAGIC WAS HIS CHILDHOOD IDOL SO HE IS TOO CLOSE TO THE ACTION appear on the screen over my head to really drive home the point.)

Magic and Nixon going one-on-one at a party.... Buss and Red at midcourt at The Forum...

Saw a review where the season still hasn't even reached the 1980 playoffs by the 8th episode so this could be quite a slog. So many more women for Magic to have sex with before he scores 42 in Game 6! Maybe an entire episode about Mark Landsberger's career at Mounds View High in Minnesota.

 

Right now they’re setting up Cookie Johnson and Jeanie Buss as the heroines

 

My understanding is that the first season of the show doesn't even get through, or maybe ends, at the end of the upcoming Lakers season.

 

Which means that Adrien Brody as Pat Riley is barely gonna poke his nose on screen during the first season.

 

West by West is a damn good read, IMHO.

I, too, admired West from afar and gained more respect for him after reading the book. Cannot remember the co-author's name, but it was a good collaborative effort. Off the top of my head, I cannot remember an ex-athlete/executive being so hard on him- or herself in their own book.

 

Good episode last night, but is Adrian Brody playing Pat Riley or Sonny Bono? He looks much more like the latter.