Season 2 of “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” culminates with the 1984 NBA Finals rematch between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, which has been eagerly anticipated by basketball fans everywhere. Sorry to ruin the ending for you, but the Celtics won the series over 40 years ago.
The outcome has put the HBO show in an unusual situation. A show on Los Angeles’ great 1980s run might conclude with Boston winning the series.
Despite the fact that the most recent season of “Winning Time” has been well received by both reviewers and viewers, the show’s cancellation is still a distinct possibility. Is the cancellation of “Winning Time” really that big of a deal?
Winning Time Season 2 Cast
Both former Lakers owner Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) and Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah), an NBA star, were featured prominently in Season 2.
- John C. Reilly as Jerry Buss
- Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson
- Jason Clarke as Jerry West
- Adrien Brody as Pat Riley
- Michael Chiklis as Red Auerbach
- Sean Patrick Small as Larry Bird
- Hadley Robinson as Jeanie Buss
- Jason Segel as Paul Westhead
- Gaby Hoffmann as Claire Rothman
- Solomon Hughes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- DeVaughn Nixon as Norm Nixon
- Tamera Tomakili as “Cookie” Kelly
Is a ‘Winning Time’ Season 3 on the Way? Author Shares Concerns
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty may not make it to air on HBO, but it won’t be for lack of effort from Jeff Pearlman.
The sports journalist who wrote the source material for the sports drama, Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s, is urging viewers to tune in because he is concerned that HBO will not renew the show for a third season unless viewership increases.
On August 14, Pearlman asked his Twitter followers, “Please give Winning Time a shot if you haven’t.” If we want a Season 3, we need to see big ratings. In other words, spread the word to your closest loved ones. It’s one of the best shows on television now.
“Please give Winning Time a shot if you haven’t,” Pearlman tweeted on August 14. “We need (like, really need) strong numbers for a Season 3 to happen. So — tell your friends, family. It’s one of the truly great shows on TV.”
My daily thoughts and some secret (shhhh) details about "Winning Time," the @HBO show (based on my book, "Showtime") that needs eyeballs and views to survive. Everything about this effort has been class, devotion, love, teamwork. Please help keep it going. Thanks. #WinningTime https://t.co/tXikPjMjf8 pic.twitter.com/FLzI8QVZjs
— Jeff Pearlman (@jeffpearlman) August 18, 2023
He went on: “And, to be blunt, I’m worried there won’t be a season three. And it’s not about me. I’m fine. It’s about a cast of amazing young actors who live this.”
Furthermore, Pearlman has stated in Twitter videos that Winning Time is “fighting for its survival” and that the show “is not getting promoted very well.”
According to Deadline, the Season 2 debut of Winning Time on HBO and Max on August 6 attracted 629,000 viewers, down from the 901,000 viewers the Season 1 premiere attracted in March 2022.
Season 2 of Winning Time follows the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers as they compete and deal with life off the court. The show stars John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, Adrien Brody, Jason Clarke, Gaby Hoffmann, Jason Segel, and Sean Patrick Small.
The first professional rematch between the era’s finest stars, Magic Johnson (Isaiah) and Larry Bird (Small), is the season’s climax, according to an HBO press release.
A second Twitter request from Pearlman this week read, “No f—king way can a Lakers show end in 1984.”
