Winning Time:
The Rise of the
Lakers Dynasty
Sky Atlantic
★★★★✩

Go Golden State Warriors!”

“Excuse me?”

“The basketball team on your cap.”

“Oh that’s who they are! I like the design.”

The team changes according to my colour palette, but I’ve been the receiving party to this exchange on multiple occasions over the years. Increasingly so as my hair has departed. Once I nearly didn’t get past customs in New York because I was wearing what turned out to be a Boston cap. It’s fair to say then, that while I enjoy the sun and ego protection of their headwear, I’m not knowledgeable about American sports. The upside is, whenever a quality bit of historical sports-related drama makes its way over from the US, I never know what happened and can remain on the edge of my seat until the end. Alas, I suspect that the title of new HBO to Sky Atlantic crossover, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, may somewhat give the game away.

Kicking off in 1979, this first series of ten episodes is primarily focused on the two key protagonists that set about changing the fortunes of the Los Angeles Lakers. Driving the show is Dr Buss, exchanging his property empire for a shot at something greater, to be the owner of an NBA team, implanting his family’s legacy into the very fabric of Americana. John C. Reilly delivers in the role of this charming chancer, seemingly a superficial joker until you find yourself manoeuvred exactly where he wants you, doing exactly what he wants you to do.

Perhaps his Jewishness will later be explored, but in juxtaposition to the old guard of uptight waspish stereotype Mr Cook they seemed to have missed a trick.

Then again with his nemesis, the Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach who Michael Chiklis snarls to life, we could have seen more of what connected them.

The other ingredient is of course Magic Johnson, who even I had heard of before. Newcomer Quincy Isaiah has the star quality necessary to portray star quality, and where expectation of greatness meets fear of delivering, it’s refreshing to see the writers not falling down the trap of hagiography.

Less appealing is the overcooking that takes place on the screen. The pilot’s director Adam McKay sets the tone by indulging in every visual and narrative trick he can think of. It’s a tic that’s been getting worse over his last few films, characters constantly addressing the camera, in-shot animation, shifting stocks from film to VHS, time jumps, text imposed to give the real meaning.

Some work, like when someone says Larry Bird is “hardworking” the word “white” pops up, when Magic Johnson is described as “physically impressive,” the word “black”. And what a pleasure to see the recreation of the Airplane set, complete with the directors cameoing as themselves. But overall the effect is opposite to the swan described by Dr Buss as graceful on the surface, churning away underneath. If they’d just focus on getting the ball through the hoop then I’m sure they will be onto a winner.