‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty’ Renewed for Season 2
Lakers fans couldn’t have been more excited to learn that a sports drama series about the iconic team would be debuting on HBO Max. ‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty’ chronicles the rise of the team in the 1980s and the superstar players who helped to solidify their legacy. With such great reception from audiences and critics, the show has been greenlit for a second season.
The series is picked up for Season 2
HBO has renewed Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty for a second season. The series is the product of Adam McKay and has been a hit since it premiered. “It’s been a thrill to bring Winning Time to life with Adam McKay, Max Borenstein, our phenomenal producing team, and this incredible cast,” Francesca Orsi, EVP, HBO Programming, told Deadline regarding the renewal. “This series not only tells the riveting story of the Lakers’ rise, but is also a look back at a transformative era in basketball, celebrity, and the city of LA. We can’t wait to see how this team will tell the next chapter of this dynasty.”
News of the show being picked up for a second season comes after a viewership high amid the show’s fifth episode that aired on Sunday, April 3. The episode chronicled the team as they prepared for the opening game against the Clippers. It drew 1.2 million viewers across all platforms and saw an increase of 37% from the first episode.
The show is based on Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s. It follows the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Lakers team, which is considered one of the best eras for the team.
The director of the series says the show is one of the biggest she’s worked on
Salli Richardson-Whitfield is one of the directors of the critically acclaimed series. As one of the leading Black female directors in Hollywood, it’s been an honor for her to be able to work on a project like this.
In an interview with Shadow and Act, Richardson-Whitfield revealed that the HBO series has been a highlight of her career. The cast and storyline, coupled with the viewers’ hype over their love for the Lakers, has been exciting for her to be part of.
“Here comes the Lakers series [Winning Time] and then you’re like, ‘Oh my God, look at the talent here. Look who won? Look who has to listen to me who I’m directing again,’” she said recently. “[It’s on] HBO, the budget [is big], the basketball sequences [are great]. So now, that’s my favorite [project I’ve directed], because it’s anything that challenges me or excites me. Anything that scares me excites me because I know that I’m on the right path. What if I’m just going to jobs that are the same thing over and over and I can basically like I can do that with my hands tied behind my back. I don’t want that.
