Elite athletes are attributed possibilities that most people cannot achieve. Fame. Success. Transcendence. The possibility of remaining in someone’s memory. Economic stability (up to implausible points). Sports badges are given, in many cases, more time than many habits throughout life, in addition to a sense of belonging comparable only to that felt by the place of birth. Winning Time: The Lakers Dynastythe most recent series of HBO (available on HBO Max), dares to question that universe.
Sport is a topic that in film and television is usually a satellite related to the story, without being the axis of the story, or as a means to tell facts and feats as a moral and tribute. Within these adaptations there are not many that crudely explore the corners of the human condition; they are usually sweetened and entertaining versions. How not to do it, if in this process you can contribute to demystify a figure or institution?
The concern is understandable. To question them is to dare to question the illusions of the fans. In recent years, money ball (Bennett Miller, 2011) goes out of the mold due to its dramatic richness, making the game an excuse to tell something and not the other way around, with billy beane as a center, including its nuances. It is not the only production in that style. Long before, The Natural (Barry Levinson, 1984), without being based on real events, can also be cited as a film which works in different registries.
As for series, the bulk of the productions have a documentary cut. From ESPN 30 for 30 until Untold, from Netflix, exploring specific events and characters. It is in this type of work where the nuances of elite sport are addressed in greater depth. Having access to the protagonists, exclusive material, and having a format that facilitates the development of stories without being subject to two hours of film, contributes to generating better experiences.
Winning Time: The Lakers Dynasty (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) combines a bit of both worlds, offering a story crossed by fiction in some sections but with a solid documentary base, a powerful cast and a story that, in essence, is powerful and attractive.
beyond the smile
by Earvin “Magic” Johnson
jerry buss is one of the main responsible for Los Angeles Lakers is one of the most important franchises in the history of the NBA. When it comes to showtime, the name of the team comes naturally. On a sporting level, along with a handful of historical players, other veterans and the rookie Earvin “Magic” Johnson, began its most glorious era in terms of style and results. On the other hand, mobilized by Buss’s ambition, the idea of a sporting spectacle is reformulated: bars and nightclubs appear, and the first row of the stadium is filled with celebrities. Contemporary basketball, as an entertainment experience, owes much to this team and this process.
However, before so much luxury and movement, a series of events typical of high-flying literature took place. Conflicting interests. Disputes. betrayals New approaches that are not clear. The chance. The pulses between players. In short, the umpteenth sample of the human condition, with all its nuances. Winning Time: The Lakers Dynasty tells details with a touch of humor, sarcasm, and an explicit degree helpful to the narrative: several of those involved were figures so particular that representing them in another way might not have made sense.
Sign up in hbo max and you will have access to the best series and exclusive movies What TheWire, The Sopranos or Game of Thrones. It includes the entire Warner catalogue, the Cartoon Network classics and the big premieres like Matrix and dunes.
This tool allows the HBO Max series, developed from the executive production by Adam McKay, adapt through eight chapters different stories. The one with Jerry Buss, acted by a remarkable John C Reilly, as an entrepreneur. the coach’s jack mckinney wave of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; also that of Magic Johnson, represented by Quincy Isaiahthat of Paul Westhead and, of course, that of Pat Rileyone of the most important figures in contemporary gaming, masterfully played by Adrian Brody. These stories include Spencer Haywoodacted by another of the historical actors that the production has, Wood Harris. Few cases in the contemporary NBA are as amazing as yours.
None of these characters is seen with subtlety. On the contrary, one of the values of the production is to be able to represent them in a way that is close to the viewer, as individuals who make mistakes, lie, cheat, and yet can laugh in front of the cameras as Earvin “Magic” Johnson did so many times, until making his smile one of the most iconic of humanity.
Winning Time: The Lakers Dynasty: a required series
Being a segmented narrative, based on Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s from Jeff PearlmanPerhaps someone who has no idea about the sport does not enjoy it as well as someone who does. But, because it is essentially a drama in which one and the other try to move forward while encountering different obstacles, it works beyond that factor.
Winning Time: The Lakers Dynastyavailable from this Sunday, March 6, offers an appropriate balance between sporting events, such as the rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, or the personal tensions of the boss, Jerry Buss. The story constantly plays with references and direct winks to the viewer, either because of the scenery, montage and aesthetics, with a rough texture in the image and full of light, like Los Angeles, or because the protagonists frequently break the fourth wall
Within a context in which the bulk of recognized sports productions have a celebratory and exemplary tone, Winning Time: The Lakers Dynasty away from that search. It offers a closer version of what happens inside a sports institution and the internal pulses that are generated in a locker room. It is not a tribute series to the Los Angeles Lakerssomething that is appreciated because that condition serves to better understand the impact of that franchise within the game: almost everything that could go wrong happened and, nevertheless, its directors, employees, players and coaching staff changed the history of the play.