by Samuel Nichols, Contributing Writer
Compelling sports stories are not that difficult to come by. Every March, millions of viewers tune in to see which small college basketball team will take down juggernauts like Kentucky or Duke on a Cinderella run. There is almost an unlimited amount of stories like this. By comparison, the Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s were the kingpins of the NBA, winning five championships in the decade. Essentially winning a title every other year, they became regarded as one of the best dynasties in the history of the league. So how exactly does one make the Goliath of a league into a compelling protagonist? You make their own stars and leaders relatable. Enter Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry Bus, and a smattering of other coaches, staffers, and players who all had something to prove in the Lakers 1979-1980 title run. That is the first season of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.
So who are these major players and what do they want? Dr. Jerry Bus (charmingly portrayed by John C. Reilly) is a businessman who purchased the lakers right before the ’79-;80 season. His partying, playboy nature comes in conflict rather quickly with his desire to win once he’s brought into the fold of the league. That dual nature affects all those around him, but particularly his young daughter Jeannie Bus (Hadley Robinson), who only wants to prove she can be of service and help the organization improve. All business is Jerry West (Jason Clarke), the former Lakers player haunted by his lack of success as a player and driven by his over-competitive nature. Other important staffers include genius head coach Jack McKinney (Tracy Letts), his eventual replacement Paul Westhead (Jason Segel) the intellectual, and assistant coach and future legend Pat Riley (Adrien Brody). On the court, the Lakers were led by one of the greatest players of all time, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes), a standoff-ish but unstoppable offensive force. Finally wrapping up the cast of high-profile characters is rookie sensation Earvin “Magic” Johnson (Quincy Isaiah). Like the new Lakers owner, this unique and high octane player has that same desire to win at all cost behind a flashy smile.
That deep cast is one of the best strengths this show has going for it. Aside those that I mentioned, there are many others in small roles including Rob Morgan, Gaby Hoffman, Sally Field, Wood Harris, and Sean Patrick Small. Reilly particularly shines as Dr. Bus. The way he is able to portray a sense of confidence and suave, while keeping everything together by the skin of his teeth is an impressive job. In the same vein, Isaiah does well showing off the charm of Magic Johnson. How effortlessly Magic would make crazy passes on the court while living a high-profile life off of it is what made him a popular figure. What Isaiah adds is the conflict Johnson had between wanting to maintain connection with where he came from, enjoying the high life, and being respected as a player.
As a basketball fan myself, I also have to commemorate the performances and casting of Brody as Pat Riley and Small as Magic’s rival Larry Bird in particular. Initially, I thought that Brody’s quiet demeanor would not suit the brash reputation Riley had. For goodness’ sake, Riley frequently calls other executives expletives to their face and calls out superstars like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. But as the season went on, Brody showed off the same confidence. There are two scenes in particular where he gets in the face of either his fellow coaches or referees with that patented Riley Anger. In regard to Small, I was upset prior to the premiere of the show not because of his casting but because of who he replaced. Bo Burnham had been signed on to play the trash-talking hick from French Lick, but dropped from the project. Anyone replacing a talent like Burnham has big shoes to fill. In the time Small is on the screen, he embodies Bird by answering questions shortly, smack talking opponents, and getting into Magic’s head. I had to take time to praise those two castings and acting jobs.
What else stands out is the unique cinematography. It looks at times like it is directly pulled from the VHS and cable antenna era of that time. There is a fuzziness to the screen or screen burns that show up, adding a personal flare to it. Also the actual basketball scenes themselves are filmed in odd closeups to try and capture what the players are thinking and feeling during games and scrimmages. It allows for the cast to show off their expressiveness as well. Sometimes there are slow motion moments that amp up the tense nature of some of the games. One of these dramatic moments comes during Game Five of the 1980 Finals when Abdul-Jabbar plays through an injured ankle. Seeing the emotional and adrenaline-driven performance by Hughes gets a fire burning inside you. Very inspirational stuff to be sure.
On the downside, some of the actual basketball games and plays are certainly embellishments of the truth. It is not uncommon for Hollywood to amp up the drama to make for a better product. But I would expect better of them when it comes to the Lakers. There is a long history of Hollywood types and celebrities sitting courtside at Lakers games. I would think these supposed fans would remember what happened at those games (or even when the games happened) a little better. It is not that those games in and of themselves were not interesting to watch. Why overcook it?
In addition, while that large cast means we have terrific actors almost everywhere we look, there is only so much screen time to go around. Now the big roles held by Reilly or Isaiah do not suffer, but there are so many different characters that some of their arcs feel half-baked or incomplete. Considering the show has been renewed for another season, I hope they can make more time to for those supporting roles, as a lot of them were doing great work.
With more seasons to show and more drama to unfold. I am excited to see where this show can go. For now I think the show is solid but there is still room to grow in the aforementioned areas.
Score: 7/10
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