‘Winning Time’: HBO series about the rise of the LA Lakers dynasty is messy, flashy fun (review)

The HBO series “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” faces some fairly daunting hurdles when it comes to wooing viewers. It’s not a documentary, a la “The Last Dance,” the epic miniseries that focused on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. No, this is a drama with comedy and satire, a tone that definitely sounds challenging, but may be familiar to viewers of executive producer Adam McKay’s other works, such as “Don’t Look Up” and “The Big Short.”

Despite potential warning signs, “Winning Time” marches forward, assuming viewers will keep up, whether they’re already fans of the Los Angeles Lakers, or just randos tuning in because the series is on HBO, so it must be a prestige project worth making time for.

“Winning Time” is likely to be fun for fans with a deep-seated knowledge of National Basketball Association history, but the 10-episode series offers so much style that it’s pretty lively, even for schlubs who spend more time on the couch than they ever have on the court.

In addition to the tale told onscreen, which details the beginning of the “Showtime” era of the Lakers, there’s some backstory that’s fairly juicy. For one thing, the show is adapted from sportswriter Jeff Pearlman’s nonfiction book “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.” When HBO ordered a series, it got renamed, presumably because HBO didn’t want a series called “Showtime” when one of its premium cable competitors is named, er, Showtime.

And that’s small potatoes compared to the tale of how the role of Jerry Buss, the would-be Burt Reynolds-style womanizer who bought the Lakers in 1979, and helped usher in the era of basketball as showbiz razzle-dazzle spectacle, would be cast.

McKay, who had been creative partners with “Saturday Night Live” veteran Will Ferrell for years, opted not to cast Ferrell as Buss, though Ferrell reportedly wanted the role. McKay instead cast Michael Shannon as Buss, but that didn’t work out. Ultimately, the partnership between Ferrell and McKay dissolved, and from reports, it sounds like their friendship has hit the rocks – at least for the moment – as well.

While that all sounds stressful, the good news is that John C. Reilly, who plays Buss, is totally at ease. It’s certainly a vanity-free performance, since Buss is forever trying to style his receding hairline into something resembling a full head of hair (without much success), he struts around in jeans and an unbuttoned shirt that makes him look like a total sleazeball, and he’s always creepily hitting on younger women.

When “Winning Time” begins, we see the moment in 1991 when Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. is diagnosed with HIV. The series then flashes back to a different era in 1979, when Buss bought the Lakers, and Johnson was drafted to join the team.

In the eight episodes (of a total of 10) made available for preview, we see how Buss, who enjoyed spending time at the Playboy Mansion, brought a vision to pro basketball that combined sybaritic Hollywood flash and athletic prowess. That razzle-dazzle turned Lakers games into media-adored events, and boosted a sports league that had previously been suffering from declining ticket sales.

For those of us who aren’t NBA scholars, the saga of how the Lakers’ fast-break showmanship helped revive the league is perhaps mildly interesting. But what makes “Winning Time” really soar is the energy behind it, and a cast that couldn’t be better.

The film style rockets between intentionally dated-looking footage, complete with grainy or out-of-focus images. Characters break the fourth wall to talk directly to the camera, sometimes to explain basketball strategy, and sometimes to comment on hypocritical foolishness.

While the differing film stocks on parade can feel gimmicky, it helps that the cast is loaded with top-level talent. As Buss, a character whom it would be easy to be repulsed by, Reilly maintains a level of driven energy that keeps us watching, even as we recoil from his ickier tendencies.

As Laker star Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Quincy Isaiah is a marvel, channeling Magic’s epic smile and extrovert’s charisma, while Solomon Hughes, as the cerebral and socially conscious superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, captures the legendary athlete’s introverted nature and sensitivity to racial discrimination.

To its credit, “Winning Time,” co-created by Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht, also shows awareness of the power imbalance between the Lakers, whose star players are Black, and the white guys who hold positions of power as owners and coaches.

The rest of the cast is flawless, even when they’re adorned with circa-1979 wigs. The all-star list includes Jason Clarke as Jerry West; Adrien Brody as Pat Riley; Jason Segel as Paul Westhead; Sally Field as Buss’ mother, Jessie; Hadley Robinson as Buss’ daughter, Jeanie; and Gaby Hoffman as Claire Rothman, general manager of the Forum, the arena where the Lakers played.

For locals, it’s particularly interesting to see Tracy Letts as Jack McKinney, who went from a job as assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers in their 1977 NBA championship season, to a job as head coach for the Lakers, where he brought a vision for the gun-and-run, constant-motion playing style that made the Lakers a sensation.

As if that wasn’t enough, “Winning Time” also includes a brief appearance by Phil Knight (played by Olli Haaskivi), who tries to get Magic to agree to a deal promoting Magic-branded Nike footwear. Magic decides to go with another company, a decision that, as an onscreen title reminds us, proved to be a costly mistake.

“Winning Time” may not make all the right choices, either. But in its messiness and exuberance, the series keeps us watching, even if we’re not Lakers diehards.

“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” premieres at 9 p.m. Sunday, March 6 on HBO; stream on HBO Max.

-- Kristi Turnquist

kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist