Back in 2021, a year before the premiere of the first season, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty showrunner Max Borenstein compared his basketball drama to The Crown. This was a surprisingly apt description for the series which begins with Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) purchasing the Los Angeles Lakers and recruiting Earvin “Magic” Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) in his rookie season. Boasting a star-studded cast including Jason Clarke as Jerry West, Adrien Brody as Pat Riley, Jason Segel as Paul Westhead, and Sally Field as Jessie Buss, and employing a vintage aesthetic that at times makes the series look as if it was ripped straight from the late seventies and early 80s, the first season was ambitious and even a little controversial. Several of the real-life figures depicted in the show, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, claimed that the series was dishonest and an over-dramatization. Even so, Season 1 of Winning Time was endlessly entertaining, brimming with executive producer Adam McKay’s signature style and snark.

Season 2 picks up immediately after the events of Season 1, as the Lakers have defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in the Finals. Magic is grappling with his fame and isn’t entirely comfortable that his likeness is being used as marketing for the team. His relationship with his longtime girlfriend Cookie Kelly (Tamera Tomakili) seems broken beyond repair, especially with the birth of his illegitimate son. As the Lakers enter the 1981 season, tensions have started to build between coaches Paul Westhead and Pat Riley, while the team’s point guard Norm Nixon (DeVaughn Nixon) is at risk of being traded. Jerry Buss’ home life has also become messy after the death of his mother Jessie, and he’s become at odds with his daughter Jeanie (Hadley Robinson).

The new season also takes a look at the Lakers’ rivalry with the Boston Celtics, with one episode providing some background surrounding the personal life of Larry Bird (Sean Patrick Small) and his tattered relationship with his father, and how he first crosses paths with the Celtics’ coach Red Auerbach (Michael Chiklis).

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‘Winning Time’s Impressive Ensemble Continues To Be the Series’ Greatest Strength
Image via HBO

As previously mentioned, Winning Time’s ensemble is borderline insane, mixing in up-and-coming stars like Isaiah and Robinson with veterans of the industry like Reilly and Brody. Winning Time is the kind of show where it is hard to even single out an MVP, with nearly every star getting their moment to dominate the screen. Brody’s Pat Riley continues to be a massive highlight, and he bounces off Segel’s Paul Westhead perfectly. Both Segel and Brody, as well as Clarke as Jerry West, know how to balance the show’s more serious and melodramatic moments with a specific sense of humor. While the real-life West claims that Clarke’s portrayal of him isn’t accurate, that doesn’t mean that Clarke isn’t great in this role. No other actor on the show can spew out profanities as naturally as Clarke can.

While Reilly’s Jerry Buss was front and center in the first season, he doesn’t get as compelling of a role this time around. Reilly still feels like such a natural fit for the part, using his unique brand of on-screen energy, but his story, which revolves around the fictional character Honey (Ari Graynor), doesn’t start to get interesting until close to the season’s end.

If one were to make an argument for who was the real star of the show, it would likely be Isaiah as Magic Johnson. He has such a natural charisma that he brings to the screen in every single scene that he’s in. Johnson is depicted as a very flawed man in the series, specifically with his treatment of Cookie, but it is Isaiah’s performance that makes the audience root for him as much as we do, even at his lowest moments. Another major standout this season is Small as Bird. He could have easily come across as just a caricature, but thanks to the arc he’s given this season, he proves that he’s more than just an imitation of such a recognizable figure.

‘Winning Time’ Season 2 Covers a Lot More Ground, for Better and for Worse
Image via HBO

While Season 1 of Winning Time primarily took place in 1979 and 1980, Season 2 begins in 1980 and ends in 1984. While the series’ freshman season ran for ten episodes, this new installment only runs for seven. This results in some of the storylines feeling a bit rushed and ultimately not as satisfying or fleshed out as they could and should have been. This new season wastes no time and while the last season could go off and have a minor subplot about how Paula Abdul became a cheerleader for the Lakers, that kind of novelty is absent here. Sometimes that works to the show’s benefit, the pacing is much more brisk this time and it never loses its entertainment value. Some of that is thanks to the show still utilizing its nostalgic visual and editing style, ensuring that one doesn’t even have to be a fan of the NBA to find themselves entertained by the show.

On the other hand, the series is trying to cover so much ground at once that some of the narrative threads end up feeling forgotten. Solomon Hughes still gets some time to shine as Abdul-Jabbar, but not nearly as much as he did previously. While the new season also covers notable moments in the Lakers’ history, such as Johnson butting heads with Westhead, everything feels a bit too surface-level and rushed.

With HBO cutting shows left and right, it would still be a damn shame if this ended up being the final season of Winning Time as the finale not-so-subtly teases that the creative team still has a lot left that they want to explore in future seasons. Yes, this is a series that feels like a dream come true for NBA fans, but it’s just as accessible to non-fans as well. Like Borenstein said before, Winning Time is The Crown but for basketball, and who doesn’t like some melodrama mixed in with their sports?

Rating: B

The Big Picture

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty’s ensemble cast remains its greatest strength in Season 2. Magic Johnson is brought to life once more by an excellent performance from Quincy Isaiah, making the audience root for him even at his lowest moments. Season 2 covers a lot of ground in a shorter episode count, resulting in some rushed storylines that feel surface-level and less satisfying.

Season 2 of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty premieres on August 6 on HBO and Max.