I have been a first-love basketball fan for almost 30 years now. I can recount the precise moment as if it just occurred yesterday. The beauty of accessing nostalgia through not just the brain, but also sites such as YouTube, makes it so easy to enjoy the past. Of course, it is not always chipper, either. Some moments are not as fun to relive, although they have just as much of a place in history as the good times. Do you ever wonder what it is like for those in the spotlight? Could it be that those of greater fame AND infamy experience even greater emotions when they are faced with reliving the past? Well, where there is a will, there is a way…

November 7th, 1991 was a day marked by shock to the sports world. Earvin “Magic” Johnson announced his immediate retirement from professional basketball due to a recent test, which told him that he had come down with HIV. Although he made brief comebacks for: the NBA All-Star Game in 1992, the Barcelona Olympic Games that same summer and a short stint with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996, his life was never really the same. However, I can think of few people who have conquered their challenges with greater dominance and I can say with complete conviction that his life after basketball has been every bit as successful, if not more successful, than at any other time in his life. I have said all that so I can now say this…

“Winning Time” is the latest offering from HBO and this channel has not lost its form. It opens with the news that Magic received, two days prior to his big announcement and then quickly flashes back to where it all began, for him: in the state of Michigan, during the late 1970s. Historically-speaking, he did something that has rarely, if ever, occurred. Try to imagine winning a championship at three, elite levels in successive years. First, the high school state championship; second, the NCAA Division 1 championship; third, the NBA world championship. Yes, it REALLY happened!

The strong casting begins with Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson. He looks like him and he portrays that trademark smile perfectly. Truthfully, though, the real star and focal point of the series, at least for now, is none other than John C. Reilly (“Licorice Pizza”) as Jerry Buss. Yes, he has his looks and mannerisms down pat, as well, but he also provides emotional layers and context to the likes we have never seen anywhere else. I, personally, connected with Dr. Buss and felt an array of emotions as he traversed his first year of ownership with the storied Lakers franchise.

At this stage, I think I should mention that several of the real life people being portrayed in the show have criticized the authenticity and reliability of the details displayed. It is not surprising, but the show does not claim to be 100% accurate, either. It has long been the role of anyone in the process of making a show or movie to suspend reality or exaggerate facts in order to make things more interesting or entertaining for the viewing audience. Nothing has changed in that aspect, as far as I am concerned. That job, in this case, went to co-creators Max Borenstein (“Godzilla vs. Kong”) and Jim Hecht, plus a bevy of additional writers and directors. That list includes: Adam McKay (“Don’t Look Up”), Jonah Hill (“Richard Jewell”), Rodney Barnes (“Wu-Tang: An American Saga”), Damian Marcano, Tanya Hamilton (“Godfather of Harlem”), Payman Benz and Salli Richardson-Whitfield (“Playin’ for Love”). Clearly, the talent was not just limited to the actors. I would be remiss if I did not mention the stellar work by cinematographers Todd Banhazl and Mihai Malaimare Jr. (“The Harder They Fall”) and the vast editing team, which includes Hank Corwin (“Vice”).

The opening episode is very strong and entitled ‘The Swan.’ Right away, the style is established and it remains consistent throughout the season. As much as I know about the history of professional basketball, I was surprised to learn that there were still some things I did not know about some of these players and so forth. Of course, some of those details might not be historically accurate, but as Dr. Buss said, “Who’s measuring?” Along with Magic and Dr. Buss, several, other primary characters are established early on: Jason Clarke (“Silk Road”) as Jerry West, who comes across as an intense individual with a very short fuse; Sally Field (“Little Evil”) as Jessie Buss. She is the matriarch of the Buss family; Adrien Brody (“The French Dispatch”) as Pat Riley, which seems like an odd choice on paper, but actually fits nicely in action; Gaby Hoffman (“C’mon C’mon”) as Claire Rothman, a stubborn and enterprising secretary. That leaves us with Jason Segel (“Windfall”) as Paul Westhead, Hadley Robinson (“Moxie”) as Jeanie Buss, DeVaughn Nixon (“Prom”) as Norm Nixon and Tracy Letts (“Ford v Ferrari”) as Jack McKinney.

By the time I finished the second episode, ‘Is That All There Is?,’ it was obvious, to me, that this series would be more about the behind-closed-doors side of basketball and less about the actual game, on the court. I sensed a drop off from the opening episode, which was about as good as a debut can get, but from there, it was, pretty much, all uphill.

‘The Good Life’ introduced a side of the legendary broadcaster Chick Hearn, played by Spencer Garrett (“Survival Skills”), that I never would have expected before. I, also, though that he sounded more like Brent Mussburger, personally. The cuts between modern film and vintage film have, as well, become very prevalent and I question if they needs to be there as often as they are. Regardless, the engaging story arcs and casting choices continue to impress. With the following episode being directed by the same person, I would like to clump them together and point out that this might well be the strongest two episodes in the series. The rest of the basketball team is coming along, including the likes of Solomon Hughes (in his acting debut) and Delante Desouza as Michael Cooper, who happens to be my favorite player of the “Showtime”era. I could not help but be intrigued by his presence and arc within the show. One other thing: I wonder if anyone else thinks that Coach McKinney is starting to sound like Herb Brooks. It was around the same time as the “Miracle on Ice,” so who knows?

The following two episodes are ‘Pieces of a Man’ and ‘Memento Mori.’ There is nothing bad here, but nothing astounding, either. Continuity is key for a series and these two parts do that job just fine. I was eager to learn more about the real Kareem and I think there is much we STILL do not know. As you might know, he was born Lew Alcindor and changed his name when he converted to Islam during the early 1970s. I thoroughly enjoyed the interaction between he and his Imam, which shed some light on the real man, even if it was not something that truly took place. I would add that often times what we fear is from the unknown. If you allow yourself to get to know someone or something, you might find that it is not as scary as you imagined. As we get to know Dr. Buss and Magic a bit better, we see that they were connected by their love for their Moms and their undying lust for women. The new coach, Westhead, seems to lack the where-with-all to be an NBA coach and relies upon unorthodox phrases to get his messages across to his players. I wonder, again… did Michael Jordan make it big with Nike in the mid-1980s because Magic turned them down for Converse, or what?

If I were to pick another, strong set of episodes, to compete with the former, it would be these two. ‘Invisible Man’ draws upon the inner workings and influence of Coach Riley before he was the head man. He had a drive and assertiveness that Westhead seemed to lack. It becomes clear that Magic and Larry Bird, played by Sean Patrick Small, were most definitely keeping an eye on each other’s games and looking to one-up each other at every opportunity. Bird probably was not quite this outspoken, but for effect, it is fun to see unfold. The attention to detail on clothing from the period and the recreation of the famed Boston Garden are spectacular. By Episode 8, ‘California Dreaming,’ I was fully enthralled with the primary characters and their outlooks on life, especially for Dr. Buss. I found it inspiring and relatable. Perhaps, some of you will, too. All I will add is that you remember to be good to your mother.

The series closes out well with the 1979-80 NBA season unfolding in a familiar way for any basketball fan or historian. If you never knew about what happened to Spencer Haywood, played by Wood Harris (“Space Jam: A New Legacy”), it is tragic, to say the least, but can certainly be chalked up as an “acceptable loss.” However, he laid the foundation seeking new avenues for many other basketball players who came after he did and they each owe him a debt of gratitude, including Jordan, by the way. ‘Promised Land’ ends the season and begins with a truly brilliant sequence. I cannot say enough about the way the basketball games were conveyed in this show. I did not know the process of how things closed for Magic, either, and I can only wonder if that is the truth, or not.

Truthfully, I was able to get past the criticism of the real-life people and just enjoy the series for what it is: a very good, if not great show. I will be awaiting the future award season with some interest and fully expect to see some accolades coming this way. I have never seen John C. Reilly give a better performance and the cinematography is really top-notch. Maybe some of the details are repetitive, at times, but the purpose for them is sensical, in my view, and I look forward to what season two can bring us, which has been confirmed, already. I do not expect things to continue to be as great, but I will be more than curious and it is all because of how well things started out.

Creators: Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht
Based on: ‘Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s,’ by Jeff Pearlman (‘Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty’)
Starring: John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, Jason Clarke, Sally Field, Adrien Brody, Gaby Hoffman, Jason Segel, Hadley Robinson, DeVaughn Nixon, Tracy Letts, Solomon Hughes, Tamera Tomakili as Earletha “Cookie” Kelly, Brett Cullen as Bill Sharman, Stephen Adly Guirgis as Frank Miriani, Spencer Garrett, Sarah Ramos as Cheryl Pistono, Molly Gordon as Linda Zafrani, Rob Morgan as EArvin Johnson Sr., Delante Desouza, Austin Aaron, Jimel Atkins and Rachel Hilson as Cindy Day
Cinematography: Todd Banhazl and Mihai Malaimare Jr.
Network: HBO
Release date: March 6th, 2022-present