When it comes to sports dramas, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season 2 has to be one of the most anticipated series for basketball aficionados.
After being a slam dunk among many viewers in its freshman run (although some real-life people associated with the team called foul including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West) fans are wanting to know what will be depicted next in the series. Considering season 1 only scratched the surface with the legendary’s team first go at a championship during the 1979-1980 NBA season and the Showtime era runs from roughly 1979 to 1991, there’s a lot the drama could cover.
With that said, here’s everything we know about Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season 2.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season 2 release date
Unfortunately, we’re still waiting to hear official word as to when Winning Time season 2 will be released. Season 1 debuted on March 6, 2022, so we’re hopeful an official announcement about season 2’s premiere comes soon.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season 2 plot
Esquire managed to get an exclusive scoop on season 2 from series showrunner Max Borenstein, and executive producer and director, Salli Richardson-Whitfield. For starters, it looks like season 2 will be seven episodes, which is short of the ten that were in season 1.
Additionally, the synopsis of the new season reads as follows:
"Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season 2 continues to explore the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers. This season hones in on the period just after the Finals in 1980 through 1984, culminating in the first professional rematch of the era’s greatest stars: Magic Johnson and Larry Bird."
Borenstein sheds more light on the season 2 plot stating:
"But this is a series about a dynasty. And what comes after winning that first is not just winning another. It's exponentially harder. Everything that comes with winning and celebrity and all of the sort of challenges— especially in this moment in the '80s—[it's about] Magic and his nemesis Bird. These are the guys who turned basketball into the crucible of American culture that it became."
Richardson-Whitfield follows that up and states, "We explore more of Larry's past in a way that will be surprising and fun for people to see."
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season 2 cast
Reprising their roles as the dynamic duo of Magic Johnson and Jerry Buss respectively are Quincy Isaiah and John C. Reilly. While Winning Time is Isaiah’s most notable role, he’s also been spotted in A Black Lady Sketch Show. Reilly is an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in Chicago, and has also starred in things like Guardians of the Galaxy, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and Licorice Pizza.
Also expected to be a part of the season 2 cast are the following:
- Jason Clarke as Jerry West
- Adrien Brody as Pat Riley
- Gaby Hoffman as Claire Rothman
- Tracey Letts as Jack McKinney
- Jason Segel as Paul Westhead
- Hadley Robinson as Jeanie Buss
- Dr. Solomon Hughes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Tamera Tomakili as Earletha "Cookie" Kelly
- DeVaugh Nixon as Norm Nixon
- Rob Morgan as Earvin Johnson Sr.
- Sally Field as Jessie Buss
- Julianne Nicholson as Cranny McKinney
- Brett Cullen as Bill Sharman
- Sean Patrick Small as Larry Bird
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season 2 trailer
It’s a bit too early for a season 2 trailer. However, as one becomes available, we’ll place the clip here.
How to watch Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season 2
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is an HBO original series. If you’re hoping to catch new episodes live on TV, you can do so on HBO. For those that cut the cord to traditional cable/satellite TV, you can add an HBO subscription to a live-streaming TV platform like Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV.
Max subscribers can also watch season 2 episodes as they become available with a subscription to the streaming service.
Season 2 is expected to follow season 1 and be available in the UK via Sky TV.
