Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty Trailer: An Iconic Sports Tale Heads To HBO

The latest trailer for "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" is here, and it looks like a perfectly crafted piece of sports nostalgia. The 10-episode series will premiere on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, March 6, 2022 and stars John C. Reilly as Lakers owner Jerry Buss, along with Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson, Dr. Solomon Hughes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jason Clarke as Lakers general manager Jerry West, and Jason Segel and Adrien Brody as coaches Paul Westhead and Pat Riley. Every episode was helmed by "Don't Look Up" director Adam McKay, hot off the success of his Oscar-nominated "Don't Look Up." 

Check out the trailer below!

One thing that I noticed immediately watching the trailer was the beautiful film grain over everything, which doesn't look like any kind of digital fakery. It turns out that the series was mostly shot on 16mm film in an effort to recreate the look of media from that time period. The series takes place in Los Angeles in 1979, and the trailer feels appropriately sun-kissed and disco-fueled. I admittedly don't know much about basketball outside of the insane Chicago Bulls line-up in the 1990s, but this trailer has me completely sold. The series will be biographical, following the Lakers basketball players and the coaches, owner, and more. The NBA wasn't doing too well in the late 1970s, but the Lakers and their entertainment-friendly approach to the sport changed everything. 

Reilly looks absolutely transformed here, especially after he's gotten his L.A. tan. I'm curious to see how he brings such a legendary sports figure to life along with the rest of the totally stacked cast. Seriously, in addition to everyone listed above, the cast includes Sally Field, Gaby Hoffman, Tracy Letts, Julianne Nicholson, Gillian Jacobs, Molly Gordon, Michael Chiklis, Rob Morgan, Danny Burstein, and Sean Patrick Small. 

Here's the official synopsis for the series from the HBO site: 

HBO's 'Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty' is the fast-break new drama series that goes back in time to chronicle the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of sports' most revered and dominant dynasties. Based on Jeff Pearlman's book, 'Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers,' and executive produced by Adam McKay ('Succession,' 'Q: Into the Storm'), the show takes a look at a team that defined its era, both on and off the court.

"Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" will premiere on Sunday, March 6, 2022 on HBO and HBO Max.