On the heels of Sept. 17’s season two finale of HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, fans were shocked to learn that the series had been canceled. Others, like Magic Johnson, were unfazed.
via: Vibe
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter last week at the 2023 Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS, the 64-year-old revealed the reasoning behind his decision.
“Well, I never watched it because nobody in this world can tell the Lakers story [like it needed to be told]. The Showtime story? Nobody! Dr. Buss was way ahead of his time as an owner. Our team? Unbelievable! The Laker Girls with Paula Abdul? Unbelievable! Nobody can tell that story,” explained the business mogul.
“So, none of us watched it because it was fictional. You just can’t tell that story. But, hey, that’s on them.”
Winning Time is described by HBO “as a fast-break series about the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of sports’ most revered and dominant dynasties — a team that defined an era, both on and off the court.”
The series premiered in March 2022 with the second season debuting in August 2023. Starring Solomon Hughes, Adrien Brody, Quincy Isaiah, Sean Patrick Small, John C. Reilly, Jason Clarke, Jason Segel, Gabby Hoffman, Hadley Robinson, and DeVaugh Nixon, it was revealed earlier this month the recently aired season two finale would be the end of the show.
The final episode highlighted the first professional match between Johnson, playing for the Lakers and Boston Celtics’ Larry Bird.
“When you give it everything you’ve got, you can have no regrets,” shared Director and executive producer Salli Richardson after news of the cancelation. “I hope you enjoy the last episode of @winningtimehbo I am sure I will do many more hours of TV and hopefully many features in my future, but I can say that at this moment in time I am most proud of the work we did on this masterful show. #winningtime“
