Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is returning for its second season soon and, with that, fans will soon become reacquainted with its cast of characters. There were a lot of boisterous personalities on display during Season 1 of the HBO show, which was well received by critics. Within the narrative, one person who struggled to find his voice was assistant coach Paul Westhead, who’s played skillfully by Jason Segel. By the end of the show’s first season, Westhead became head coach of the Lakers and led the team to victory at the 1980 NBA Finals. Westhead’s story is primed to take a turn in Season 2, though, and Segel teased his arc with an A+ Lord of the Rings analogy.
Anyone who needs context on the first season (and NBA history) should know that Paul Westhead was brought in by his friend, Jack McKinney, after the latter was named LA’s coach in 1979. McKinney would eventually suffer a serious bike accident during the season, leading Westhead to take his place at the helm. He’d later keep the job and help the club earn the previously mentioned championship.
The former English teacher was portrayed as meek during Winning Time Season 1 and was simply hired by Jack McKinney because he had no backbone. That seems to have changed, as the trailer for Season 2 teases that he’s becoming a domineering man (who’s now sporting a mullet). Weeks before the SAG-AFTRA strike began, I spoke with Jason Segel about the stark, season-to-season change amid press day for Season 2. I was specifically curious about which iteration of the character he enjoyed playing more. Segel definitely has a clear favorite and revealed it before going into further detail. What I didn’t expect was for him to connect his role to an iconic item from Middle-earth:
So [the] more fun [version] to play was this season. But my approach is each time I'm doing something, for at least for my character, I'm like, ‘What is this about? What am I trying to express in this piece, you know?’ And in Season 1, it was somebody stepping into their manhood. And in Season 2, it was somebody unable to hold the Ring of Power. And so that was really fun, like somebody on the downfall, the decline and being overtaken by their own pride, and the ‘my precious’ elements, all of it was really, really fun to play. So I had a great time.
Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy book series surely know the One Ring is an incredibly powerful artifact that very few are strong enough to wield. A Lord of the Rings analogy may seem random in the context of Winning Time, but it’s actually apt when describing Paul Westhead. As history tells us, after that title run in 1980, he wanted another (championship) ring and did his darndest to get one. Later during our viral interview, Jason Segel, who I spoke to alongside co-star Solomon Hughes, doubled down on his LOTR comparison:
Yeah, you know, the thing about the Ring of Power is no one's able to hold it, even Frodo wasn't able to hold it, you know? But Westhead definitely couldn't hold it [laughs].
The Shakespeare lover’s continued reign as the coach of the Lakers is only one of many subplots that’s going to be explored in the new season. The previews for the new episodes give off a different vibe, and even the writers/EP believe it has shades of Star Wars’ The Empire Strikes Back. Amid that, you’ll want to watch out for Jason Segel’s Westhead, as he continues his quest for the One Ring… I mean, another championship ring.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty returns to HBO with new episodes on Sunday, August 6, at 9 p.m. ET as part of the 2023 TV schedule. Episodes will also be available to stream with a Max subscription. That same membership gives you access to Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films, which we’ve ranked.
