Winning Time Season Two Early Review

The first season of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty was essentially a coming-of-age story that saw chronicled the rise of Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson and the Showtime Lakers dynasty. A time capsule that celebrates the excess of the late 1970s to early 1980s, it’s not only a blast to watch but its vintage, archival look only adds to the experience and that continued in the second season. Based on the book “Showtime” by Jeff Pearlman, it does play some liberties with its story as what happens whenever true stories are adapted for film or television, overly dramatizing moments and scenes to emphasize their ridiculousness and occasionally offering fourth-wall-breaking winking moments that did admittedly take away from that first season. However, this disposition is toned down a few notches which allows this second season to focus on its characters and story underneath all the puff and pageantry in a more compelling way. In spite of a faster paced approach, it captures just enough moments within its 7 episodes to move them forward in a satisfying way as they learned how to live with their newfound success. While getting to the top was one thing, staying there was another issue altogether. Managing egos, personalities, injuries, and the changing landscape of the NBA and the country as a whole presented its own set of challenges though the biggest one was of course Larry Bird who lurked on the horizon.

This season of Winning Time centers on the 4-year window between the Lakers 1980 NBA Championship and the long-awaited matchup between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the 1984 NBA Finals. But in order for that matchup to happen, a few other things needed to happen first. Playing on opposite coasts, each remained in the mind of the other. While it was the matchup everyone wanted to see, it was also one they wanted as that rivalry only became more heated after Bird lost the 1979 NCAA Championship to Johnson followed by Johnson losing the 1980 NBA Rookie of the Year Award to Bird. But before they could get to that infamous meeting, the Lakers, coming off their 1980 championship were now at the top of the hill and had to learn how to stay there. With success comes egos and personalities along with complacency as they found themselves unceremoniously knocked back down to earth. As the rest of the NBA caught up with them, they had to learn to not get caught up with their own success and adapt by not simply rest on their laurels.

With Magic leading the Lakers to the 1980 championship and becoming Finals MVP while Kareem was injured, the next season came with some tension between the two stars as the team sought a direction moving forward which left them out of sync and that sentiment appeared to remain for the seasons that followed. A Magic injury in the following season and his subsequent return later in the season further fueled the overall contentious atmosphere amongst the team and fans. Meanwhile, Kareem, a consummate professional, has been around the block a few times so he could see what was happening with the team and had to decide whether he still wanted to be a part of it. Westhead, in particular, was no different as he tried to establish himself on his own alongside Pat who stood by him as he felt the pressure to maintain the team’s winning ways. This did not go unnoticed by Riley as the gap between he and Westhead grew the more unhinged the latter became. That being said, there was still a sense of loyalty there for Westhead for giving him his big break. Nevertheless, that did not stop them from an embracing performance in the 1981 playoffs where their rivals, the Boston Celtics, ended up champions once again. From there, it became an arms race as the Lakers and the Celtics, and Magic and Bird, remained within arms length of one another but for whatever reason and just kept missing each other.

As the Lakers found themselves at a crossroads, that vulnerability allowed for plenty of drama as the players, coaches, and those working behind the scenes tried to right the ship but with how sports go, not everyone was going to make it on the other side as their evolution came with some casualties. When it comes to real character development, the 7-episode length perhaps limited how far it could go. As far as the season was concerned, the focus seemed to be to advance the team and player angle above all else and everything else worked to service that goal. Those familiar with the history of the Lakers more or less know how the story will go as the adversity they faced only helped shape them into what we know they became. Once all eyes were on this incarnation of the team, they had to learn to rise to the occasion now with a target on their backs. While that time wasn’t without some bad decisions, they had to learn to lose before they could win (their 1980 championship was a perfect storm and a bit of an anomaly). And while many of those decisions may have been perceived negatively in the moment, history has proven that Dr. Buss and the Lakers were ahead of their time.

In the end, the moment most viewers have been waiting for did not disappoint. The 7-game series between the Lakers and the Celtics in the 1984 NBA Finals was not without fireworks as the two teams pushed each other to the limit. Intense and beautifully-shot, it was a roller coaster as the crafty Celtics owner, Red Auerbach, showed that he had some tricks up his sleeve to help tilt the court in his team’s favor. He had a history of using his craftiness to he and his team’s advantage as the Celtics are not one of the winningest teams in NBA history for nothing. The process of drafting of Larry Bird was a major moment and arguably the biggest example of this. The Lakers loss in the 1984 NBA finals is only the beginning of that rivalry.

The best part of Winning Time was its stellar performances across the board. John C. Reilly takes a bit of a backseat here as Dr. Buss as his presence was more on the periphery, contributing to the other subplots more so than adding to story with his own. Many below him were the true standouts. Isaiah continues to shine with his effortless charm and charisma as Magic Johnson. Showing some range, this season saw him get to show more of a vulnerable side as self-doubt crept in be it his injury or finding his place while navigating the evolving team dynamics. Hughes as Kareem was the singular stand out of season one and much of that was still the case here as his gruff exterior slowly wore away as the season offers a larger window into he and his personal life. Brody and Segel and the dynamic between Riley and Westhead went in some compelling directions through the season as well.

At the end of the day, the second season of Winning Time is another winner whose limited focus may leave some material on the table but strong style and stellar performances make it worth the ride.

still courtesy of HBO

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.