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Despite its shaky response from the real players, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty has created quite a buzz with its ten-episode season chronicling the beginning of the LA Lakers' glorious days under the new owner Jeff Buss (John C. Reilly). The series garnered a lot of attention and was met with positive acclaim.
The show wrapped up on May 8, with the finale, Promised Land, where the LA Lakers faced the Philadelphia 76ers in a battle for the 1980 NBA championship.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty was renewed for a second season by HBO. It is expected to drop in the first half of 2023.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty Season 2 plot: A greater focus on Larry Bird?
The ending of the current season saw the Commissioner of the NBA offer the MVP award to Magic Mike (Quincy Isiah) in response to Larry Bird (Sean Patrick Small) winning the Rookie of the Year award. It effectively created a media rivalry that would be the highlight of the decade.
Though the creators have avoided leaking any plot detail for the upcoming season, it will most likely pick up the story from the 1980 championship and continue depicting the next seasons of the prolific team.
There will be some significant changes, of course. For one, the plot will be more focused on the reigning days of the LA Lakers in the second season, unlike the first season's focus on building the team.
According to co-creator Max Borenstein, Larry Bird's character will also play a significant role in the second season, becoming an essential part of the story. Speaking to sources, he said:
"In our show, hopefully, we have an opportunity to get there. Getting to face the Celtics is like the White Walkers in "Game of Thrones." They flirt with it for quite a while in this iteration of the dynasty and then only eventually get there. When they do, it becomes a rivalry for the ages. And so this is the hint that he's more than just the villain, that there's an internal presence there, and that he's every bit as competitive and driven as Magic Johnson."
The second season may also shed more light on the coaching situation in the show going forward.
The core cast of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is comprised of 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, and Spencer Garrett. They are expected to reprise their roles in the next season.
As the work for the second season progresses, there will be more details available. Fans will still have to wait for at least 12 months before the new season drops.
All the episodes of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty are now streaming on HBO Max.
