Though the first season of HBO’s highly-anticipated series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty has yet to premiere, the studio already has plans for season two. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Casey Bloys of HBO discussed the idea of focusing on the Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant-era of the Lakers in the future.
“If the stories are there and the different eras are there, why not keep exploring it?”
The upcoming first season is based on Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s. Additionally, Bloys confirmed that HBO has already “quietly optioned Pearlman’s follow-up” as source material for season two.
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Pearlman’s 2020 novel is titled Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty. It chronicles Shaq and Kobe’s often tumultuous relationship amidst their three-peat in the early 2000s. The book received criticism for portraying Bryant in an unflattering light. Pearlman clarified “the Kobe Bryant of 1996 to 2004 is not the Kobe Bryant of 2005 to January 26th, 2020. He was not then the contemplative adult who raved of having four daughters. He was not then the doing husband. He was not yet the Academy Award winner. He was not yet comfortable in his own skin.”
Prior to his death, Shaq and Kobe squashed their beef and maintained a brotherly relationship in retirement. Shaq spoke at Kobe’s memorial in 2020, saying he “lost a little brother” when Bryant passed.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season one premieres on HBO on March 6th. It stars Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson and John C. Reilly as Lakers’ owner Jerry Buss.
Lastly, in case you missed it, you can watch the trailer for season one of Winning Time right here on wavypack.com.
