Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season 2 — next episode and everything we know about the basketball drama

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What can you expect to see next in this dramatization of the Showtime Lakers?

Delante Desouza, Quincy Isaiah, Solomon Hughes and Joel Allen as Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kurt Rambis on the court in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season 2
Delante Desouza, Quincy Isaiah, Solomon Hughes and Joel Allen in Winning Time (Image credit: Warrick Page/HBO)

When it comes to sports dramas, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season 2 has to be one of the most intriguing in recent memory. 

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 happens next. Considering season 1 only scratched the surface with the legendary team's 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 for the series to cover. 

With that said, here’s everything we know about Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season 2.  

When is the Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season 2 finale? 

Winning Time season 2 is finally coming to an end. In the season finale, it's the ultimate battle between the Lakers and the Celtics. 

The episode titled "F**k Boston!" airs on Sunday, September 17, at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO. The episode also becomes available to stream at that time on Max. 

Here's a synopsis of what's to come:

"With the NBA Finals, the tensions between Lakers and Celtics reach a new peak in 1984, and between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird."

Want to know what was fact and what was fiction in the latest episode? Check out what we found out below. 

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season 2 trailer 

Here's the official trailer for the second season, and fans should prepare themselves for more of the iconic battle between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Take a look at the trailer below. 

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season 2 plot

Here is the official synopsis for the latest season of the sports drama:

"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."

Esquire magazine shed some 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."

For those needing a slight refresher of what happened in season 1, check out this official recap video. 

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season 2 cast

DeVaughn Nixon, Quincy Isaiah and Delante Desouza as Norm, Magic and Michael sitting in practice in Winning Time sesaon 2 episode 1

DeVaughn Nixon, Quincy Isaiah and Delante Desouza in Winning Time season 2 (Image credit: Warrick Page/HBO)

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 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     
  • Michael Chiklis as Red Auerbach       
  • 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.     
  • Gillian Jacobs as Chris Riley
  • McCabe Slye as Jimmy Buss
  • Brett Cullen as Bill Sharman   
  • Sean Patrick Small as Larry Bird 

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. 

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Terrell Smith
Terrell Smith

Terrell Smith has a diverse writing background having penned material for a wide array of clients including the federal government and Bravo television personalities.  When he’s not writing as Terrell, he’s writing under his pseudonym Tavion Scott, creating scripts for his audio drama podcasts. Terrell is a huge fan of great storytelling when it comes to television and film. Some of his favorite shows include The Crown, WandaVision, Abbot Elementary and Godfather of Harlem. And a fun fact is he's completely dialed into the TLC 90 Day Fiancé universe.