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Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty Scores Season 2 Renewal

Published Sat, 09 Apr 2022 09:07:11 -0500

The HBO series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty has been renewed for a second season. Based on the book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s by Jeff Pearlman, the series tells the story of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most successful and famous NBA teams of all time. The ten-episode first season will end on May 8 and will be available to stream on HBO Max. And if you're curious as to why, look no further than the numbers on the series so far: the most recent episode of the show, S01E05 had 1.2 million viewers on its April 3 premiere night, which was a 37% increase over the first episode.

Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson and Solomon Hughes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, photograph by Warrick Page/HBO.

"It's been a thrill to bring Winning Time to life with Adam McKay, Max Borenstein, our phenomenal producing team, and this incredible cast," says Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming. "This series not only tells the riveting story of the Lakers' rise, but is also a look back at a transformative era in basketball, celebrity, and the city of Los Angeles. We can't wait to see how this team will tell the next chapter of this dynasty."

The "Showtime Era" Lakers was a legendary stretch for the franchise during the 1980s, led by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The team won five NBA championships over this period. Owner Jerry Buss wanted to create a glamorous and entertaining atmosphere around the franchise to fit with the Hollywood culture of Los Angeles. This was evident in the team's fast-paced style of play, and the dancers and live band hired to entertain fans at home games. The period was a golden age for the franchise, and it is still revered by many fans today. Winning Time chronicles the franchise over this era.

The pilot episode of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty was directed by McKay, who executive produces the series via his company Hyperobject Industries. Max Borenstein is the showrunner, writer, and co-creator of the series. Kevin Messick is also an executive producer for Hyperobject Industries. Jim Hecht is executive producer, writer & co-creator. Rodney Barnes, Jason Shuman, and Scott Stephens are also executive producers.

The cast of the first season of Winning Time included John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, Jason Clarke, Adrien Brody, Gaby Hoffmann, Tracy Letts, Jason Segel, Julianne Nicholson, Hadley Robinson, DeVaughn Nixon, Solomon Hughes, Tamera Tomakili, Brett Cullen, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Spencer Garrett, Sarah Ramos, Molly Gordon, Joey Brooks, Delante Desouza, Jimel Atkins, Austin Aaron, Jon Young with Rob Morgan and Sally Field.