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Max is one of the best places to find peak drama shows because they have all the HBO shows, which are loved by millions and millions of people. From classic shows like The Sopranos to the wild dramas like Succession, you can find it all on the Warner Bros. streaming service Max. So, we list the ten best drama shows you can find on Max right now.

Oz Credit – HBO

Oz is a prison drama series created by Tom Fontana. The HBO series is set in a fictional men’s prison named Oswald State Correctional Facility in New York and it follows the story of inmates as they strategize and do everything they can to survive and gain power behind bars. Oz stars Christopher Meloni, Dean Winters, Harold Perrineau, Lee Tergesen, Terry Kinney, Kirk Acevedo, Eamonn Walker, J.K. Simmons, Rita Moreno, Luna Lauren Velez, and Ernie Hudson.

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty...

The experience of watching live sports is thrilling enough but time and time again TV shows have proven that a scripted series about a fictional team giving their all to a game while standing side-by-side is also very entertaining. There have been countless great sports TV shows like Friday Night Lights and Ted Lasso that have brought us joy and the feeling of camaraderie that we all want. That’s why we thought of making a list of the 10 very best sports TV shows that you shouldn’t miss out on.

Friday Night Lights Credit – NBC

Friday Night Lights is a sports drama series created by Peter Berg. Inspired by a 1990 nonfiction book titled Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by author H.G. Bissinger, the NBC, and The 101 Network series is set in the fictional small Texas town of Dillon and it follows the story of...

A riveting locker room speech can be the difference maker in truly selling the emotion of a sports TV show or movie. And Adrien Brody delivers an exquisite amount of them to the Los Angeles Lakers in his turn as real-life coach Pat Riley on HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. The series depicts the legendary Showtime era of the LA Lakers, which saw players like Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes), Norm Nixon, and more. Plus, Celtics icon Larry Bird (Sean Patrick Small) makes multiple appearances. And Brody’s Riley is at the center of it all. To celebrate his triumphant ability to gas up, grill, or simply get his guys into grind mode, TV Insider caught up with Brody to look back at one of those scenes and learn a bit more about what went into his performance for TV Insider’s Scene Study series.

Think about how competitive the Emmy race is: There are so many excellent shows that deserve attention yet fail to make the nomination cut because they’re either not considered one of the frontrunners or they air on a broadcast network. That’s rough.

Now, imagine being a critically acclaimed drama on a premium network/streaming hybrid in a season where the drama race is pretty wide open. You’ve got big stars, high production values and well-known source material. Shoo-in, right?

Not if you’ve been canceled. (Cue sad trombone sound effect.) That’s the unfortunate fate of “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” the HBO series executive produced by Adam McKay that continued to earn raves in Season 2 for its heightened, not-quite-accurate-but-entertainingly-close-enough take on the 1980s rise of the “Showtime”-era Los Angeles Lakers. “Winning Time” should be in the awards conversation … but wound up getting canceled in September.

Season one of “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” ended on an appropriately triumphant note with the Los Angeles Lakers’ victory over the Boston Celtics in the 1980 NBA Championships. Not only was Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) vindicated after his tumultuous first year as franchise owner, but budding superstar Earvin “Magic” Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) and his seasoned counterpart Kareen Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes) put aside their differences to unite their teammates both on and off the court. For the acclaimed HBO series, repeating that success — dramatically, much less historically — would prove a more difficult challenge, and not just because in real life the Lakers wouldn’t win a second title for two years, and three more for a third.

After helming two episodes in Season One (including that nail-biting finale), Salli Richardson-Whitfield graduated to executive producer for Season Two. Looking forward not only at the complicated trajectory of the...

Exclusive: Following the conclusion of HBO’s acclaimed sports drama series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, actor Quincy Isaiah has signed with Range Media Partners for representation.

Created for the premium cabler by Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht, the show marking Isaiah’s breakout role had him playing legendary Lakers point guard Magic Johnson. Based on a book by Jeff Pearlman, it chronicled the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of sports’ most revered and dominant dynasties — a team that defined an era, both on and off the court.

Among those Isaiah starred opposite are John C. Reilly, Jason Clarke, Jason Segel, Gaby Hoffmann, Rob Morgan, Adrien Brody, and Solomon Hughes. Exec produced by Adam McKay, who also directed the pilot, Winning Time premiered in March 2022 and wrapped up its two-season run in September. For his performance, capturing the physicality, charisma and confidence of Johnson,...

On the heels of Sept. 17’s season two finale of HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, fans were shocked to learn that the series had been canceled. Others, like Magic Johnson, were unfazed.

“Well, I never watched it because nobody in this world can tell the Lakers story [like it needed to be told]. The Showtime story? Nobody! Dr. Buss was way ahead of his time as an owner. Our team? Unbelievable! The Laker girls with Paula Abdul? Unbelievable! Nobody can tell that story,” the NBA great told The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday night when asked about it on the red carpet at the Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS. “So, none of us watched it because it was fictional. You just can’t tell that story. But, hey, that’s on them.”

Based on Jeff Pearlman’s book, Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers, Winning Time chronicled the...

The second season of HBO's Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty sped through four seasons of the Los Angeles Lakers' Showtime era in search of a villain. Was it Paul Westhead (Jason Segel), the academically inclined head coach who antagonized his players while subjugating them to his vainglorious "system"? Was it Norm Nixon (DeVaughn Nixon) or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes), whose petty rivalries with Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) nearly imploded the team's chemistry? Was it Dr. Jerry Buss' (John C. Reilly) new (sort of) wife, Honey (Ari Graynor), whose palimony lawsuit threatened to take down the entire Buss empire?...

The Los Angeles Lakers have a long history and the producers of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty have managed to attract some impressive performers to play legendary people in the NBA team's story. Still, that's no guarantee that HBO will keep renewing the show to see the team's story come to some resolution. Will Winning Time be cancelled or renewed for season three? Stay tuned. *Status Update Below.

A sports comedy-drama series, the Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty TV show is based on a book by Jeff Pearlman. The second season cast includes John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, Adrien Brody, Jason Clarke, Gaby Hoffmann, Jason Segel, Hadley Robinson, DeVaughn Nixon, Solomon Hughes, Tamera Tomakili, Brett Cullen, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Spencer Garrett, Molly Gordon, Joey Brooks, Delante Desouza, Jimel Atkins, Austin Aaron, McCabe Slye, Thomas...

The story of the Lakers Showtime dynasty continues in the second season of the Winning Time TV show on HBO. As we all know, Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether a TV show like Winning Time is cancelled or renewed for season three. Unfortunately, most of us do not live in Nielsen households. Because many viewers feel frustrated when their viewing habits and opinions aren't considered, we invite you to rate all of the second season episodes of Winning Time here. *Status Update Below.

An HBO sports comedy-drama series, the Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty TV show is based on a book by Jeff Pearlman. The second season cast includes John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, Adrien Brody, Jason Clarke, Gaby Hoffmann, Jason Segel, Hadley Robinson, DeVaughn Nixon, Solomon Hughes, Tamera Tomakili, Brett Cullen, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Spencer Garrett,...

Well, this is a bit of a shocker.

HBO has confirmed the demise of the 1980s basketball drama Winning Time.

The series wrapped its sophomore run Sunday night and was canceled the same day as the finale.

Series showrunner Max Borenstein alluded to the cancellation with a message on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"Not the ending that we had in mind. But nothing but gratitude and love," he wrote.

Fans commented their thoughts on the shocking decision below the Tweet.

"So sorry Max. I eagerly anticipated each episode and enjoyed the hell out of the series," said one fan, adding:

"Congratulations on making something so creatively successful as Winning Time."

"Everything I anticipated it could be and even better when you told me about it at that lunch way back when," said another fan. 

"Disappointed it couldn't at least get to Riley's promise of a repeat, but everything you did do was great.

Sound the buzzer and clear the path to the locker rooms because Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty ends its run after two seasons. Creator Max Borenstein confirmed the news on the app formally known as Twitter, saying, “Not the ending that we had in mind,” expressing his disappointment in not finishing the story on its own terms. “But nothing but gratitude and love,” he added.

Director Salli Richardson joined the chorus on Instagram by saying, “When you give it everything you’ve got, you can have no regrets. I hope you enjoy the last episode of @winningtimehbo I am sure I will do many more hours of TV and hopefully many features in my future, but I can say that at this moment in time I am most proud of the work we did on this masterful show.”

Not the ending that we had in mind.

But nothing but gratitude and love.

It was a twist ending fans of “Winning Time” certainly didn’t appreciate.

While it was promoted as the season finale on social media, the HBO series about the Los Angeles Lakers’ ‘80s dynasty ended its run on Sunday night, with a final episode that detailed the Lakers’ crushing loss to the Boston Celtics in the 1984 NBA Finals and then featured an epilogue focused on all the future successes the show won’t dramatize for series television. Shortly after the finale ended, it was revealed HBO had canceled “Winning Time” after two seasons.

The epilogue, which noted that the Lakers defeated their archrival in 1985 and then again in 1987, was preceded by a scene featuring Dr. Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) and his daughter, Jeannie Buss (Hadley Robinson), where the elder Buss consoled the youngster that everything would work out despite the finals defeat because, in part, “we fucking own this.

The Winning Time TV series is out. HBO has cancelled the low-rated series but gave producers time to give the show an ending. The season and series finale aired tonight.

A sports comedy-drama series, the Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty TV show is based on a book by Jeff Pearlman. The second season cast includes John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, Adrien Brody, Jason Clarke, Gaby Hoffmann, Jason Segel, Hadley Robinson, DeVaughn Nixon, Solomon Hughes, Tamera Tomakili, Brett Cullen, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Spencer Garrett, Molly Gordon, Joey Brooks, Delante Desouza, Jimel Atkins, Austin Aaron, McCabe Slye, Thomas Mann, and Gillian Jacobs, with Michael Chiklis and Rob Morgan. The show is billed as a fast-break series about the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of professional basketball's most revered and dominant dynasties. The...

This post contains spoilers for the Season Two finale of HBO’s Winning Time, now streaming on Max.

Winning Time, the HBO drama about the Los Angeles Lakers’ Showtime dynasty in the Eighties, has been accused by members of those teams of rewriting history. With what unexpectedly turned out to be a series, and not season, finale, the show had to rewrite its own past, as well as its future.

Early in the summer, critics were given screeners of all seven episodes of this abbreviated second season. The version of...

HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty has come to an end.

After the second season finale Sunday, Creator Max Borenstein confirmed the news on X. “Not the ending that we had in mind,” he wrote. “But nothing but gratitude and love.”

Director Salli Richardson followed up on Instagram with “When you give it everything you’ve got, you can have no regrets. I hope you enjoy the last episode of @winningtimehbo I am sure I will do many more hours of TV and hopefully many features in my future, but I can say that at this moment in time I am most proud of the work we did on this masterful show.”

Added co-creator/executive producer Jim Hecht on X, “9.5 years. We made the show of my dreams. That wasn’t the ending we hoped for but very grateful to everyone who watched and for trusting me with his genius book.

Season 2 of “Winning Time” concluded Sunday evening with the Lakers’ devastating loss to the Celtics during the 1984 NBA finals, and as it turns out the episode serves as the series finale for the HBO series — the network announced Sunday night that it would not be moving forward with more seasons.

But that’s not to say future seasons weren’t already in mind for the show’s creators.

“In real life, the Lakers come back and beat the Celtics the next year. So that would absolutely be at the heart of any Season 3,” executive producer Kevin Messick told TheWrap during an interview conducted before the show’s fate had been determined. “In terms of the longevity of the show, there’s a lot more Laker stories to tell, a lot more characters, larger than life, as big and bigger than Magic [Johnson] and Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] that have yet to enter onto the stage.

After ordering a pilot tentatively titled “Showtime” in 2019, HBO announced in late 2021 that its Los Angeles Lakers-inspired series would be known as “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” and debut in March of the following year. (It dropped the “Showtime” name due to a certain competing premium cable network.) Unfortunately for fans, Sunday’s Season 2 finale also serves as the series finale — HBO has announced that the show has been canceled.

The show, a dramatized retelling of the rise of the 1980s “Showtime” era of the Lakers, was renewed for a second season a month after its debut. The show is based on Jeff Pearlman’s book “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.”

Just last month, Pearlman expressed his worry that a Season 3 wouldn’t happen for the series, citing the ongoing Hollywood strikes as a major reason why as actors...

Spoiler Alert: This article includes details about the Season 2 finale of “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” now streaming on Max.

The show may have been called “Winning Time,” but it’s ending with a historic loss. HBO has confirmed to Variety that Sunday’s Season 2 finale is the last episode of the basketball series.

After a seven-game duel between the Lakers and the Celtics, Larry Bird (Sean Patrick Small) and his Boston ballers sink a dagger into their West Coast rivals, claiming victory as the NBA champions of 1984. It’s an ugly defeat for Los Angeles, who are immediately greeted with a stampede of Celtics fans rushing the floor before they can sulk off the court. Boston uncorks the Champagne while Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) collapses in the locker room showers, his spirits cratering to a new low as Led Zeppelin’s “What Is and What Should...

The season finale of “Winning Time” Season 2 will see the rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird comes to a head at the 1984 NBA Finals.

In an exclusive clip shared with TheWrap, the Lakers are celebrating their win for Game 1 of the championship. But as they are getting ready to leave, their bus is immediately ambushed by angry Celtics fans.

In addition to the game, the episode follows Lakers owner Jerry Buss as he fends off a potentially life-altering lawsuit. Meanwhile, Claire Rothman faces the possibility of yet another bankruptcy and Jeanie Buss questions her place in professional sports.

“Winning Time” stars Quincy Isaiah, Adrien Brody, Jason Clarke, John. C Reilly, Hadley Robinson, Gaby Hoffmann, Jason Segel, Sean Patrick Small, Michael Chiklis, DeVaughn Nixon, Solomon Hughes, Tamera Tomakili, Brett Cullen, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Spencer Garrett, Molly Gordon, Joey Brooks, Delante Desouza, Jimel Atkins, Austin Aaron, McCabe Slye, Thomas Mann, Gillian Jacobs and Rob Morgan.

Who doesn’t love watching a series that tells the true-life (or at least somewhat true-life) stories of real people? That’s what HBO’s hit series “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” provides for NBA fans, Angelenos and TV viewers alike.

“Winning Time” doesn’t feature any of the real-life people that the series depicts, though some of the actors bear striking resemblances to their counterparts.

The show has a massive cast, with Quincy Isaiah (Earvin “Magic” Johnson”), John C. Reilly (Jerry Buss), Adrien Brody (Pat Riley) and others taking center stage as leads. There were also newcomers who stepped onto the court as guest stars for the second season, included Joel Allen as Kurt Rambis, Jay Davis as Byron Scott, Quentin Shropshire as James Worthy, Matthew Barnes as Mitch Kupchak, Darryl Reynolds as Robert Parish, Andrew Stephens as Kevin McHale and Larry C. Fields III as Eddie Jordan.

Note: This interview was conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike and contains spoilers for Winning Time Season 2, Episode 5

In Sunday’s episode of HBO’s “Winning Time,” Kareem Abdul-Jabarr (Solomon Hughes) confronts Lakers owner Jerry Buss in a roller rink, accusing him of taking advantage of Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah).

To prepare for the confrontation, Hughes told TheWrap that he would sneak onto set with the show’s basketball assistant director Derek Dibiagio to learn how to roller skate.

“He generously brought his skates to work just about every day and we would sneak onto the set and roller skate on the court and it was like a month of learning,” Hughes recalled. “I learned early on, ‘you’re gonna get this scene with John C. Reilly and by the way, you’re gonna be on roller skates’ and I’m like ‘Oh, ok. All right.’ So that was fun...

Note: This story contains spoilers from “Winning Time” Season 2, Episode 5.

In Sunday’s episode of “Winning Time,” Paul Westhead (Jason Segel) is fired as head coach of the Lakers. The actor said the twist was one of his “most fun days” on set.

“I did that scene over and over again with John C. Reilly,” he told TheWrap in an interview before the SAG-AFTRA strike. “That was a day of using all the different skills because there’s comedy in it. It’s pathetic, it’s dramatic. It just required a little bit of everything. And I got to dance with John C. Riley in that scene which is special thing.”

While Westhead is an important figure in Lakers history, Segel said he was also “lesser known,” giving him “a lot of freedom to explore what we’re trying to say with the character.”

“I hope he would appreciate,...

Paul Westhead is feeling the pressure of his feud with Magic Johnson in an exclusive sneak peak of Sunday’s new episode of HBO’s “Winning Time.”

In the episode, titled “The Hamburger Hamlet”, a final clash between Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) and the Lakers head coach (played by Jason Segel) causes Lakers owner Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) to task Jerry West (Jason Clarke) with picking up the pieces. Meanwhile, as Honey (Ari Graynor) attempts a heart-to-heart with Jeanie (Hadley Robninson), Buss faces pushback from the press and his captain. Later, Pat Riley (Adrien Brody) faces his demons and takes control of his team.

The clip sees Westhead pay a visit to Buss’ office, where the former is told that the latter is in a meeting.

“With who?,” Westhead asks, to which Buss’ secretary replies, “I’m not at liberty to say.”

As Westhead turns to leave, another door swings open where Jerry West,...

In the first episode of “Winning Time” Season 2, audiences see Lakers owner Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) flipping through a scrapbook of his love interests just moments after a heated exchange with his kids — in which they call him out for ditching them for “p–y and fun.” He’s later seen wooing an old flame named Honey with a lavish date in Episode 2, and she’s even invited to the family’s game night in Sunday’s latest episode.

Buss, who is often seen in the HBO drama series with a drink and cigarette in his hand, was known for hosting extravagant parties at the Pickfair mansion, which he purchased in 1980 and is showcased throughout “Winning Time.”

Actor John C. Reilly, who plays Buss on “Winning Time,” said his “appetites” were the most surprising thing he learned while preparing for the role.

“If I had the kind of partying weekend that Jerry Buss had,...

For Sean Patrick Small, playing Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird in the HBO drama series “Winning Time” was a “dream come true.”

“I get to act, play basketball and get paid to do so, while being one of, if not the, greatest [basketball players] of all time,” he told TheWrap in an interview conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Small’s preparation for the role unknowingly started in 2014, as he worked on a miniseries focused on Bird’s life from his senior year of high school to his senior year of college.

“His whole back story really surprised me because he was at Indiana University for a short amount of time, dropped out, didn’t ever think he was going to go back to college. Was working for the county, picking garbage up weekly and painting park benches and loving it with his friends… and his father tragically passing, all this type...

HBO’s Los Angeles Lakers series “Winning Time” is back for a second season, and the true-life basketball story is covering more ground in Season 2. “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” premiered in 2022 as a dramatized look at how Jerry Buss’ purchase of the NBA team in 1979 kicked off a series of events that would transform the organization into one of the best teams in the league.

John C. Reilly leads the ensemble as Buss, while real-life greats like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are portrayed by up-and-coming actors Quincy Isaiah and Sean Patrick Small, respectively.

The 10-episode first season concluded with a trip to the 1980 NBA Championship, and “Winning Time” Season 2 picks up where we left off. For those eager to see how things play out, we’ve got everything you need to know below.

When Did “Winning Time” Season 2 Premiere?

The first episode of “Winning Time...

Jeff Pearlman, the author of “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s” — which “Winning Time” is based on — is calling on audiences to help the HBO drama series get renewed for a third season.

“I’m telling you — the future of ‘Winning Time’ hangs in the balance. We need viewers. The strikes are crippling. Please help spread the word. Season 2 is amazing. But … HBO is big on #s,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, this week. “And, to be blunt, I’m worried there won’t be a season three. And it’s not about me. I’m fine. It’s about a cast of amazing young actors who live this. So, seriously, tell your friends to support “Winning Time” and show @hbo you want it to continue. Peace. #winningtime.”

And, to be blunt, I'm worried there won't be a season three. And it's not about me.

Vulture Watch

The Lakers' first championship was far from the end of the story. Has the Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty TV show been cancelled or renewed for a third season on HBO? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Winning Time, season three. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  

What's This TV Show About?

A sports comedy-drama series airing on the HBO cable network, the Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty TV show is based on a book by Jeff Pearlman. The second season cast includes John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, Adrien Brody, Jason Clarke, Gaby Hoffmann, Jason Segel, Hadley Robinson, DeVaughn Nixon, Solomon Hughes, Tamera Tomakili, Brett Cullen,...

Note: This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike.

In HBO’s “Winning Time,” Quincy Isaiah took on the “large task” of portraying Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. — often regarded as one of the greatest point guards of all time after helping the Lakers win five NBA championships across 13 seasons.

“I think being able to make it smaller, in terms of playing this person who just won a championship and who’s just dealing with life issues, I think that’s the way that I have to frame it… really taking this giant of a person and making him relatable to everyday people,” Isaiah told TheWrap. “The way that we are able to do that is with a great script and a great cast, but also just leaning into the humanity of these emotions that you see in Season 2.”

Johnson faces several challenges during the season, including a knee injury...

Exclusive: Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty returned to HBO on Sunday with 629,000 total viewers tuning in for the Season 2 premiere across Max and linear telecasts.

That’s a bit of a fall from grace, considering the 901,000 people who tuned in for the Season 1 debut in March 2022. By May of that year, Season 1 managed to amass 1.6M same-day viewers for the finale.

HBO generally banks on the growth potential from delayed viewing, as the network previously reported that new episodes of a series tend to only draw 10%-20% of their total viewership on Sunday nights.

Season 1 episodes of Winning Time went on to average about 1.2M viewers per episode on premiere nights, which grew to 6M viewers per episode over time.

Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for the Season 2 premiere of “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” now streaming on Max.

The Los Angeles Lakers are on top of the world at the start of “Winning Time” Season 2. It doesn’t take long before they find themselves back on their asses.

After taking down the Philadelphia 76ers to win the 1980 NBA Finals, it’s no surprise that a championship would inflate some egos in Inglewood. Basking in the glow of a city’s adoration, Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) finds himself a media darling, fielding fawning reporters that regularly overrun the Lakers locker room. It’s enough hot air to irk Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes) — who also hasn’t shaken the awkward disappointment of suffering a sprained ankle during the Finals. The team’s de facto leader watched from home as Johnson took over his position at center to clinch the championship.

Note: This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike.

After ending its first season with the Lakers’ climactic victory at the 1980 NBA championships, HBO’s “Winning Time” is back for more, with cocreator Max Borenstein teasing that the team is in for more challenges in Season 2.

“Coming out of the first season, the Lakers are now no longer the underdogs. They won, they had a Cinderella story and now they’re the champions. The moment you’ve had that kind of success, repeating it is the hardest thing in the world,” Borenstein told TheWrap. “Everything comes up against them this year: injuries, internal struggles, egos… and knowing that ultimately they have to face their greatest rival and somehow find a way to come together this time, not just to win a championship but to take down the reigning dynasty of the Celtics. So the stakes are higher this year in that way.

Throughout the Season Two premiere of HBO’s basketball drama Winning Time, various characters, from Lakers assistant coach Pat Riley (Adrien Brody) to Boston Celtics general manager Red Auerbach (Michael Chiklis) talk about how difficult it is to repeat as champions. The real Riley would eventually refer to this as “the disease of more,” where players who were willing to sacrifice for the good of the team in pursuit of a title now want more playing time, more of a role in the offense, and/or more money.

In Winning Time,...

The purple and gold are returning to Max on Sunday, Aug. 6 at 9 p.m. Et when a new season of “Winning Time: Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” premieres on the service. The show rewinds to the period in the late ’70s and through the ’80s that saw the Los Angeles Lakers become one of the league’s most dominant teams, building a dynasty that few in the ranks of professional sports have reached. You can watch Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty: Season 2 with a 7-Day Free Trial of Max.

How to Watch ‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty’ Season 2 Premiere When: Sunday, August 6, 2023 at 9:00 Pm Edt Where: Max Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Max. 7-Day Free Trial$9.99+ / month Max via amazon.com

Get 20% Off Your Next Year of Max When Pre-Paid Annually

About ‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty’ Season...

It’s showtime! Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Jerry Buss and the rest of the Lakers squad is back for a second season of “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.”

Viewers got to get a glimpse into executive producer Adam McKay’s portrayal of the Lakers golden era and the drama that came with it. This time around fans will get to see even more of the Lakers legacy. Newcomers are stepping onto the court as guest stars, including Joel Allen as Kurt Rambis, Jay Davis as Byron Scott, Quentin Shropshire as James Worthy, Matthew Barnes as Mitch Kupchak, Darryl Reynolds as Robert Parish, Andrew Stephens as Kevin McHale and Larry C. Fields III as Eddie Jordan.

The show announced on Aug. 24, 2022 that it started production, and it’s making its return on Sunday, Aug. 6 at 9:00 p.m. Et/Pt on HBO and will also be available to stream on Max.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ heated rivalry with the hated Boston Celtics moves to center court in Season 2 of the pulpy series about the birth of purple-and-gold dynasty (premiering August 6 on HBO). Colorful playboy owner Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) and his superstars — brash young buck Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) and crusty captain Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes) — have established their fast-paced, high-flying brand of basketball, dubbed Showtime, transforming the beleaguered franchise from drab to glam and the NBA from an afterthought into a pop culture phenomenon. Now, can the Lakers defend their title and establish a new dynasty? The answer was no slam dunk. “Failure is difficult to deal with, but success in some ways is even harder,” says Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakes Dynasty cocreator Max Borenstein. “Are you going to be a flash in the pan? The challenges of truly becoming a dynasty are manifold.” Magic’s...

HBO’s “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” is back for Season 2, and it’s still electric and a damn good time. The first season, mostly spanning the 1979-1980 NBA calendar, unpacked the origins of Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss (a crass but delightful John C. Reilly) and exhaustively detailed the origins of the dynasty that he would build behind teen megastar Earvin “Magic” Johnson (Quincy Isaiah). A more rapidly paced second season addresses the following years, leading up to the highly-anticipated 1984 NBA Finals that positioned the Lakers against long-time rivals the Boston Celtics, led by Larry Bird (Sean Patrick Small).

Season 2 opens with the first game of that landmark championship series. It’s May 27, 1984, and a full-fledged mob scene is under way. Magic, the Lakers and their Armani-clad coach, Pat Riley (an exquisite Adrian Brody) — having just won Game 1 — race off the basketball court, through...

Co-creators Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht’s “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” was a delight for basketball fans in Season 1, a rare look at a specific sports era that’s not part of a “30 for 30” ESPN documentary nor in a two-hour movie. And because the series was about as precious with historical details as it was keeping a consistent visual style—that is, not so much—we got to have fun imaging how legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes) and Earvin “Magic” Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) would have butt heads in the locker room.

Continue reading ‘Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty’ Review: HBO’s Throwback Series Is Charismatic But Not As Slick In Season 2 at The Playlist.

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty returns to HBO for its second season next month, and the cable network has released a trailer teasing what is next in the series.

Starring 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, Rob Morgan, and Sally Field, the HBO series is based on the book by Jeff Pearlman. Season two follows the Los Angeles Lakers after they win their first NBA championship.

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"They're the dynasty, we're the flash in the pan." HBO has unveiled their full trailer for Season 2 of their sports series Winning Time, about the iconic Los Angeles Lakers basketball team in their prime-time. We also posted the first teaser a month ago. This grainy series is a fictional version of the actual story of the Lakers and their rise to prominence, kicking things off (in Season 1) on the end of the 1970s to their big NBA World Champion win in 1980. In Season 2, the story continues with their years from 1980 to 1984, and the ongoing rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird (from the Boston Celtics). Adrien Brody, Jason Clarke (as Jerry West), Gaby Hoffmann, Jason Segel (as Paul Westhead), John C. Reilly (as Jerry Buss), Quincy Isaiah (as Magic Johnson), and Hadley Robinson all reprise their roles, with DeVaughn Nixon, Solomon Hughes, Brett Cullen, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Spencer Garrett, Molly Gordon,...

Vulture Watch

How big was the game off the court? Has the Winning Time TV show been cancelled or renewed for a second season on HBO? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Winning Time, season two. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  

What's This TV Show About?

Airing on the HBO cable channel, the Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty TV show is based on a book by Jeff Pearlman. The cast includes 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,...

Exclusive: Ari Graynor has joined the Season 2 cast of Adam McKay’s Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty in a major recurring role.

Winning Time is based on Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s. McKay’s Hyperobject Industries is producing.

Co-created by Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht, the fast-break series chronicles the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Lakers, one of sports’ most revered and dominant dynasties — a team that defined its era both on and off the court.

Graynor will play Honey, a fictional character inspired by the former girlfriends and wives of Dr Jerry Buss. Honey is described as having left the fast lane of the Los Angeles party scene to run an art school in the valley. Dr. Buss played by John C. Reilly, in pursuit of a real love connection, reaches out...

The escalating rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers’ Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) and the Boston Celtics’ Larry Bird (Sean Patrick Small) takes center stage in the trailer for the second season of HBO’s Winning Time.

In the footage released Monday from the basketball-centric series created by Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht, the Lakers are looking to build on the success of Johnson’s rookie season, which was the focus of the first season and culminated with the team winning the NBA title in May 1980. The second season debuts Aug. 6 on HBO and Max, and it spotlights the squad’s ups and down from 1980 to 1984.

“Ain’t nobody scared of Larry Bird,” Isaiah says as Johnson in the trailer.

Lakers coach Pat Riley (Adrien Brody) is a bit more concerned about the challenge posed by Bird and the Celtics: “They’re won their rings. We’ve won ours. None of...

"The future of sports is purple and gold." HBO has revealed an official trailer for Season 2 of the acclaimed original sports series Winning Time, about the iconic Los Angeles Lakers basketball team in their prime-time. This grainy series is a fictional version of the actual story of the Lakers and their rise to prominence, kicking things off (in Season 1) focusing on the end of the 1970s to their big NBA World Champion win in 1980. A "controversial" time for the team with an honest depiction of events during this era. In Season 2, the story continues focusing on their years from 1980 to 1984, specifically the ongoing rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird (of the Boston Celtics). "New decade. New season." Adrien Brody, Jason Clarke (as Jerry West), Gaby Hoffmann, Jason Segel (as Paul Westhead), John C. Reilly (as Jerry Buss), Quincy Isaiah (as Magic Johnson), and Hadley Robinson all reprise their roles,...

HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season two’s first teaser trailer focuses on the rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. The network dropped the teaser along with a season two poster and the first photos from the upcoming season. HBO also confirmed the second season premieres on August 6, 2023.

New episodes of the seven-episode season will debut on Sundays at 9pm Et/Pt.

The second season stars John C. Reilly as Lakers owner Jerry Buss and Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson. Dr. Solomon Hughes plays Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jason Clarke is Gm Jerry West, DeVaughn Nixon is Norm Nixon, and Hadley Robinson as Jeanie Buss. Gaby Hoffman is Claire Rothman, Adrien Brody is Lakers Coach Pat Riley, Jason Segel is Paul Westhead, Tamera Tomakili is Earlitha “Cookie” Kelly, and Rob Morgan is Earvin Johnson Sr.

The cast also includes Brett Cullen, Stephen Adly Guirgis,...

Fear not, TV Fanatics, summer is shaping up to have a decent array of programming, all things considered.

HBO's original series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty returns this summer.

The premium cabler announced the hit drama will premiere the first of seven new episodes on Sunday, August 6, at 9:00 p.m.  Et/Pt.

After the success of Winning Time Season 1 in 2022, there are high hopes for the follow-up.

Will it continue to be criticized for historical inaccuracies? We don't know, but hey, we know certain things are manipulated from fiction to face, or else we wouldn't have so many projects based on true stories.

Winning Time Season 2 "continues to explore the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers," HBO teases.

"This season hones in on the period just after the Finals in 1980 through 1984, culminating in the first professional rematch of the era's greatest stars: Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

It’s showtime all over again.

On Monday, HBO announced the return of “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.”

The basketball drama about the Los Angeles Lakers and the team’s 1980s run through the NBA is set to debut new episodes on August 6.

Here’s the official logline for what to expect: “Season 2 continues to explore the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers. This season hones in on the period just after the Finals in 1980 through 1984, culminating in the first professional rematch of the era’s greatest stars: Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.”

Quincy Isaiah stars as Johnson while Sean Patrick Small plays Bird. The all-star cast of “Winning Time” includes John C. Reilly as Lakers owner Jerry Buss, Adrien Brody as Lakers coach Pat Riley, Jason Clarke as Lakers executive Jerry West, Gaby Hoffmann as Lakers executive Claire Rothman, Jason Segel as Lakers coach Paul Westphal,...

Return to The Forum for the continuing story of one of the most prolific sports dynasties ever. HBO has passed the new trailer for Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty over to a wide-open audience. Season 2 will be going further in-depth into the famous rivalry between the Lakers and the Boston Celtics with two of the NBA’s biggest superstars, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, at the forefront. Winning Time season one was a smash hit, despite some of the real Lakers players taking issue with the historical accuracy of the show. The Adam McKay-led series returns for its seven-episode second season Sunday, August 6 at 9:00 p.m. Et/Pt on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.

The official synopsis from HBO read reads,

Season two continues to explore the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers. This season hones in...

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is ready for its next set of games as the HBO original drama series from executive producer Adam McKay sets its Season 2 return. The sports-centric series will officially return beginning Sunday, August 6, a little over a year after Season 1 finished airing. The show will also stream the same day on Max. In Season 2 the series continues to explore the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers. (Credit: HBO) This chapter of the show hones in on a period just after the Finals in 1980 and ranges through 1984, culminating in the first professional rematch of the era’s greatest stars, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Along with unveiling the premiere date, HBO also released the show’s poster, which teases the match between Johnson and Bird. Season 2 features an all-star cast including John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, Adrien Brody, Jason Clarke,...