If you haven’t heard, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty came to an end on Sunday, September 17, when the Winning Time season 2 finale shockingly doubled as the show’s series finale.
It was announced shortly after the episode's debut that the sports drama based on Jeff Pearlman’s Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s would not be coming back for a season 3.
HBO's decision to cancel the series is no doubt a blow to viewers who enjoyed watching the dramatized rise of one of basketball's most dominant teams and were captivated by the ongoing rivalry between the Lakers and the Celtics.
However, not everyone was a fan of the series, mainly the people who served as the inspiration for the drama. NBA Hall of Fame players Jerry West and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were perhaps the most notably vocal about their disapproval of the series, criticizing the characterization of the real lives associated with the Showtime Lakers. Additionally, what most likely aren't coincidences, Magic Johnson and current Lakers president, Jeanie Buss, both came out with documentaries in the wake of Winning Time season 1's premiere to share their truths of what really happened in the ascension of the LA basketball team.
Even with its criticisms, the show still drew viewership, which begs the question, "Why was Winning Time cancelled?"
Why was Winning TIme cancelled?
Taking a look at the ratings, there was a noticeable dip between seasons 1 and 2. Deadline reports that the season 1 premiere opened to 901,000 viewers in its Sunday night live debut. In comparison, season 2 drew 629,000 viewers. While these numbers don't include streaming numbers on Max, they certainly paint a telling picture of the decline in viewership.
Furthermore, according to a Vulture story, "Network brass had given them [producers] a heads-up a couple of weeks into season 2 that ratings for the series weren't showing the signs of momentum needed for a renewal." Pearlman even pleaded with fans in a tweet on September 6 to watch the series if they hoped to see another season.
There was also the fact that the series was costly to produce. According to Variety, between LA shooting permits, the number of extras needed for scenes, the expanding ensemble cast and considering the series was a period drama, it was an expensive production.
Finally, to point out the obvious, season 2 aired during one of Hollywood's most contentious labor strikes in history, with both writers and actors picketing. Unlike season 1, actors weren't able to participate in full-court press tours promoting season 2, and show renewals face a bit more deliberation among studios these days.
Winning Time executives comment about the show's cancellation
Winning Time co-creator, Max Borenstein, took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express his thoughts on the cancellation, stating, "Not the ending that we had in mind. But nothing but gratitude and love." Interestingly enough, looking through his retweets, he shared this one from an upset fan.
WINNING TIME was the best show on TV this year. By far. Not even close. Hardest cancellation in recent years. Throwing tomatoes in @HBO ‘s direction.September 18, 2023
Other show co-creator, Jim Hecht, also took to X to express his disappointment in the show not being renewed for a third season.
9.5 years. We made the show of my dreams. That wasn’t the ending we hoped for but very grateful to everyone who watched and @jeffpearlman for trusting me with his genius book.September 18, 2023
Executive producer Kevin Messick (who also produced Succession) shared in the previously mentioned Vulture article that back in January of this year:
"We [producers] got a call from HBO, whom we've been partnered with for years. They said, 'Think about it so that you have the option while you're still in production to figure out how it might end if, sadly, that was the end of it.' So we did get a chance to prepare, which we appreciated. But to be clear, we never planned creatively to end at the '84 finals."
Final thoughts on Winning Time
Despite all of the controversy surrounding characterizations, I did enjoy the series. As an avid basketball fan, I appreciated watching the rise of Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) and the second wind of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes) in the series, especially given the Showtime Lakers largely predate my existence. I also have to give a special nod to Sally Field, who portrayed matriarch Jessie Buss in the first season. That was arguably her best work on screen in the last five years.
With all that being said, I'm sad to see the series end its run after two seasons. After all, it ends after the Celtics' 1984 championship, which is just the tip of the iceberg in the Lakers/Celtics rivalry in the 80s/90s (I'm also not a Celtics fan, but I digress).
All episodes of Winning Time are now available to stream on Max.
