# Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022)

> A fast-break dramedy following the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers dynasty and the businessmen, coaches and players who built it on and off the court.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/103043

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 17
- Episode runtime: 59 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: drama, comedy
- Created by: Jim Hecht, Max Borenstein
- Network: HBO
- Cast: John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, Jason Clarke, Adrien Brody, Gaby Hoffmann, Jason Segel, Tracy Letts, Hadley Robinson
- TMDB rating: 8.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10244600/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: breezy, glossy, hard-edged, irreverent

## What critics say

Critics and audiences broadly admired the ensemble performances and the vibrant 1980s recreation of the Showtime Lakers, while the uneven second season and cancellation dampened enthusiasm.

## Synopsis

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is an HBO dramedy set in 1980s Los Angeles that follows the franchise's newly bought Lakers as they reinvent professional basketball. John C. Reilly plays Jerry Buss, a deal-making real estate magnate who wants a glamorous empire, while Quincy Isaiah plays a young Earvin Magic Johnson, whose charisma and court vision reshape the team. Jason Clarke, Adrien Brody and Jason Segel play Jerry West, Pat Riley and Paul Westhead, executives and coaches pushing against each other over strategy, money and pride. The engine is the tension between on-court ambition and off-court clashes of egos, contracts and power inside a franchise that must win to survive. Each episode blends locker room drama with nightlife excess and business gambles, and the show often speaks directly to the camera, breaking the fourth wall to comment on the action. Its two seasons span seventeen episodes and it was canceled before its story was finished. The tone is breezy, glossy and hard-edged at once, with a stylized, colorful look that captures the decade's excess. Fans of Ballers, Entourage and The Playboy Club will find a similar mix of sports, glamour and comedy.

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