HBO buries series about Lakers dynasty – 10/23/2023 – Sandro Macedo

Imagine the “Star Wars” saga ending with just two films, with the end of “The Empire Strikes Back”, with Luke Skywalker losing his hand and Han Solo frozen. Fans would probably spray paint the studio wall with “we want race and Jedi”, “Vader is Mickey’s father” and other insults.

That’s more or less what HBO Max did with the series “Lakers: Time to Win”, which dramatizes the events involving the franchise in the golden (for the Lakers) 1980s. Everything you read in this column is a spoiler, but it’s like give spoilers for “The Crown”.

Well, in 17 episodes (10 in the first and 7 in the second, all now available), the series explores the difficulties of Jerry Buss (great performance by John C. Reilly), who bought the team in 1979, to transform the franchise into a winner.

Meanwhile, the cocky and lovable Magic Johnson, drafted by Buss that year, struggles to prevail on a team of created snakes, captained by veteran Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Between one game and another, the magnetic Magic has sex with everything that moves. The spirit of the times is exquisitely captured and the series is not limited to NBA baskets and antics.

It was also in the 1980s that the league’s biggest rivalry was established, between the Lakers and Celtics, centered on the antagonism between the black Magic and the white countryman Larry Bird. For many, the dispute was fundamental to the growth of the NBA into the great product it is today.

The first season ends with the Magic’s first title in Los Angeles, but without the expected final against the Celtics. However, the production left the ground sown, presenting heroes, villains, empire and rebels.

The story goes that Lakers x Celtics (Magic x Bird) featured three finals in the 80s. The Celtics won in 1984, with guerrilla tactics (in a finals game, in Boston, they turned off the gym’s air conditioning and the team’s water visitor; Kareem almost had a freak out). The Lakers got back with titles in 1985 and 1987.

Apparently, the producers’ idea was to turn the second season into their “Empire Strikes Back”, with the “bad guys” from Boston winning the title in 1984. Then, in the third season, Jedi Johnson’s redemption would come with two titles, until his HIV diagnosis, which took him off the court (the series, in fact, begins with the scene of the player receiving the diagnosis, followed by a large flashback).

But, unfortunately, “Lakers: Time to Win” had a first season with just OK ratings, nothing that shook the foundations of streaming; and in the second year, the numbers dropped. Worse, the writers’ strike caused a bottleneck of projects, and many ended up in a drawer, in limbo or had a sad end, like “Lakers”. The series also failed to score in the awards season, despite the sarcasm of Adam McKay (“Vice”) in directing the pilot.

Thus, the brilliant idea of ​​ending the second year of “Time to Win” with a defeat to the Celtics was a glorious shot in the foot, an “air ball”, as they say when the shot doesn’t even hit the rim.

Instead of a third season, the last episode ends with trivia about what the Lakers built in the following years. Of course, the series remains a delightful reenactment… also for Celtics fans.

In time, this column is also information: the new NBA season begins this Tuesday (24), with the Lakers watching the champions Denver Nuggets receive the rings for last season.

Invictus 2

The best clash in any sport next week will be New Zealand x South Africa (28th), in the final of the Rugby World Cup. One of the two will be four-time champions (like Brazil x Italy in the 1994 World Cup). It is also the reissue of the 1995 final, portrayed in the film “Invictus”, by Clint Eastwood.

LINK PRESENT: Did you like this text? Subscribers can access five free accesses from any link per day. Just click the blue F below.