‘Winning Time’ shows authentic human side of LA Laker legends

LOS ANGELES (AP) — John C. Reilly remembered being enthralled watching “Showtime” basketball with Magic Johnson’s no-look passes and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s patented skyhook, but the actor never really knew the backstory behind the Los Angeles Lakers dynasty.

Reilly quickly found out after stepping into his role as late Laker owner Jerry Buss in the HBO series “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” which airs Sundays. The 10-episode series follows the professional and personal lives of the team donning purple and gold in the 1980s and how the franchise became one of the most revered in professional sports.

The series stars Reilly along with Quincy Isaiah as Johnson, Jason Clarke as Jerry West, Solomon Hughes as Abdul-Jabbar, Sally Field as Jerry’s mother, Jessie Buss, Hadley Robinson as the young Jeanie Buss and Adrien Brody, who plays Pat Riley. The story is based on the book “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s” by Jeff Pearlman.

Sunday’s show marked the midway point of its run, focusing on Abdul-Jabbar’s religious journey. The fifth episode also touches on Jeanie Buss’ recruitment of the Laker Girls — including young dancer Paula Abdul — and Jerry Buss wanting to improve the look of the franchise.

Before portraying Buss, Reilly had heard about his reputation as a self-made millionaire who became known in Los Angeles for his flamboyant demeanor and for bringing Hollywood entertainment into the NBA landscape. But after reading the script and doing more research on Buss, he learned about him being a chemist, mathematician and just an overall mysterious person.

Field, a longtime Lakers fan, said she agreed to participate in the show before reading the script. The actor said the series helped her reminisce about the moments when the Lakers merged its basketball world with Hollywood.

Isaiah said he really wanted to hit the mark in making Johnson appear like a normal human being, instead of just the NBA legend, HIV advocate and successful businessman.

DeVaughn Nixon grew up being a Laker watching his father, Norm Nixon, play the guard position on the team. He said the series will continue to show how the Lakers changed sport’s marketability.

“You’ve got musical performances, halftime shows and people doing flips and stuff,” said Nixon, who portrays his father in the series. His dad was drafted by the Lakers in 1977. “Celebrities really carried over. The term celebrity is completely different now.”