'Winning Time' faces imminent ax despite massive praise from LA Lakers owner Jeanie Buss
Jeff Pearlman’s “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” might have run its course. HBO has confirmed that it will not come back for a third season. Laker fans who watched the show might feel a little uncomfortable as the season finale did not end too well for the Purple and Gold franchise.
Season 2 was about the “Showtime Lakers’” exploits in the early part of the ‘80s. Dr. Jerry Buss, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were again the main protagonists. Unfortunately, the loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 1984 NBA Finals was the lasting image of the said production.
A show entirely made for the Lakers’ success in the ‘80s is going to end with a brutal loss to their nemesis, the Celtics. History will show that Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar would eventually have their revenge. But, HBO’s decision will cut Pearlman’s story just as it is about to get even more interesting for Laker Nation.
Last month, Pearlman often urged fans via tweet to support “Winning Time,” particularly during the strikes in Hollywood. He was worried that the incident might force HBO not to show Season 3. The author said this last month:
“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. #winningtime”
In March 2022, the premiere gathered 901,000 views. Episodes that fall on Sundays or HBO’s premiere nights reportedly hit 1.2 million views. Over time, the network accumulated 6 million views during those said times. By August, the Season 2 premiere dropped to 629,000.
Jeanie Buss’ praise ultimately didn’t even matter:
“I’m enjoying this season of Winning Time on @HBO reliving the Lakers Showtime era. Lakers fans tell me what you think of the show so far. There are some discrepancies but John C. Riley has nailed Dr. Buss @StreamOnMax #WinningTime”
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Jerry West once blasted ‘Winning Time’
Roughly a year ago, LA Lakers legend Magic Johnson minced no words at “Winning Time.” The five-time champ refused to watch a single minute of the show and commented:
“You can’t do a story about the Lakers without the Lakers. The real Lakers. You gotta have the guys.”
Johnson was baffled why HBO and the executives of the show didn’t involve them in any part of the production. No one on the real “Showtime Lakers” was reportedly asked for input.
Magic Johnson wasn’t the only real-life character portrayed in the series that wasn’t happy with the production. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, in a Substack piece, called it a “Frankenstein monster” and “deliberately dishonest.”
Jerry West, “The Logo,” demanded an apology for the way he was portrayed in “Winning Time” and asked for a retraction from HBO.