DJariya

Surprisingly Jeanie Buss has been watching the show. I guess she misses her Dad and enjoys seeing him recreated for TV. She says some of the show is so wrong and some is spot on.

Twitter

MrX

I liked the Larry Bird parts, but this season is not that interesting to me.

Red Dog

It's kind of a show with limited appeal and strictly in the sports genre. Sure, Lakers fans (at least those over 45 - which is another issue) should love it. It's okay (so over the top) but I really liked the Lakers in the 80s, but once you get past the Magic era, I couldn't care less.

DJariya

I finally got to episode 2 last night. They really made Paul Westhead seem like a bonehead after he "allegedly" turned down the trade for David Thompson. I mean was that even real? I highly doubt it. Nixon was later traded for the rights to Byron Scott.

and they really zoomed through that entire season.

The next season Westhead gets canned after he has a falling out with Magic.

JeffTheAlpaca

A lot of spoilers are being dished out about the outcome of games and coaches being fired.

I know Riley took over but not when or how

I know you can google this info but I was not following the NBA in the early run of the Lakers and most of the 80's and playing with toys and a lot of this stuff is still new to me.

Why So Blu?

Third episode was awesome. It was basically the origin of Larry Bird.

DJariya

It would be a shame if this doesn't get the proper conclusion like the book. The book is very detailed with a lot of "alleged" personal conversations and meetings that I wonder who shared this with Pearlman. I mean the Pilot showed the day Magic retired in 1991, which was basically the end of Showtime. It's kind of a downer note to end a series on.

Decker

The Larry Bird stuff was really good. Never knew that about his dad. 😞
Wasn’t as interested in the Buss/Magic contract drama. That felt flat to me.

Between The Bear, Theater Camp and her tiny role as the future Linda Rambis in this, is anyone having a better Summer than the lovely Molly Gordon?

Noonan

There's a NBA TV doc about Magic/Bird that's excellent. Goes into more detail about his father. Definitely where Bird got his worth ethic from.

I don't know anything about Westhead but Segal is great in this. Inevitable is around the corner.

Bandoman

I was a huge Celtics fan in the 80s and loved the rivalry with the Lakers at the time. It was the only time in my life when I was an NBA fan. This show is really bringing back memories for me.

Decker

Finally got the drama that we have been waiting a season and a half for. Easily my favorite episode of the season, maybe the series. The exchange between Jason Segal and Quincy Isiah was fantastic. Isaiah is a true revelation— he looks like Magic, talks like Magic, smiles and charms like Magic, and he can really play. I didn’t think that casting would be possible, but he’s been amazing, and holding his own against some of the best work Jason Segal and John C Reilly have done.
And yeah, Jason Clarke and Aiden Brody have both been amazing, unsurprisingly.

Can’t wait for next Sunday!

God I hope this show gets a third season.

nickdawgy

I really enjoyed the most recent episode as well. I don’t remember any of it considering I was 3 years old in 1981 and didn’t watch my first Lakers game til 1987

kefrank

I'm a little mixed on this season so far. Since the series started, I've struggled a little with the caricatured portrayals and over-the-top nature of the show. I had a really hard time enjoying this week's episode because every single character is so joyless, dour, and selfish at this point (all the coaches and front office guys, all the players, the entire Buss family - absolutely everyone). I understand it's the tumultuous period in the main narrative arc, but it could really use some dashes of light to balance out the oppressive negativity. The performances are excellent with what the actors have been given and the overall quality of the show is solid - I'm just maybe not in a place to enjoy it as much as I could if it had a little more tonal balance and nuance.

Noonan

Assuming this season doesn't go beyond the 81 NBA season, there won't be much of any happy story lines for the Lakers.

Decker

That's a really bad assumption. We are already into the 1982-83 Season.

Noonan

The show is still in the 81 season. Westhead is still coach. I think there was a flash forward in the first episode of season 2 though.

Decker

November 1981. So the 81-82 season.

Noonan

Correct. And there's little joy for the Lakers that year, which was the point of my first post.

Decker

You sure about that?


[/spoiler]

Noonan

This is the year the Celtics win against the Rockets in the finals. Not the year after when Riley was already coach. So yes, I am sure.

Decker

Dude you are wrong. We already saw that play out in Episode 3. That was the 1980-81 season. This is 1981-82.

I was wrong when I said we were in the 82-83 season now, I meant 81-82. That is the first Riley year.

Noonan

WTF happened to the 81 season then? Didn't we just see Magic get injured and recover on the show? That wasn't the year they won. I guess I missed some push forward in time?

Decker

It happened at about the 17:30 mark in Episode 3, the Larry Bird episode. Magic watches it alone in his room.

kefrank

And I believe it was prior to that in Episode 2 that showed the end of the Lakers' 80-81 season. The whole Magic injury and return only spanned the first two episodes. Everything since (Bird excursion aside) has been the 81 offseason and start of the 81-82 season.

Noonan

Shit, yeah....I'm wrong. Don't remember that part but I do now remember them talking about Magic's 25 year contract which happened during the off season. Awkward time jump.