The question many people had before tuning into the premiere of HBO’s Winning Time was if Magic Johnson would be watching it. In so many words, he responded by saying “I’m not gon’ be here.” Winning Time: The Rise of The Lakers Dynasty has now been canceled after its second season. They cite lower viewership and high production costs as their reasoning. The hit series chronicled the Lakers’ rise to prominence in the 1980s. At the helm of this success was the trailblazing owner of the Lakers, Dr. Jerry Buss. It was he who made the call to draft Hall of Fame point guard Earvin “Magic” Johnson. From this point, a host of events transpire on and off the court with the eccentricities of the 1980s as the backdrop. The 80s was a decade synonymous with excess. There’s a sense of freedom and opulence that exudes from that period. The short-lived show took a more detailed look at the goings-on of the time through the eyes of Lakers players and brass. Magic Johnson comes along as one of the...
