Lakers News: Emmy Winner Posts Sneak Peak From Set Of "Winning Time" Season 2
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Emmy Award winner Michael Chiklis ("The Shield") recently posted a picture to his Twitter account documenting some behind-the-scenes production happenings from the set of his show "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty," which debuted to critical acclaim this past March.
Chiklis, himself born and bred in Boston, plays longtime Boston Celtics mastermind Red Auerbach, who is a fairly adversarial figure on the series. Also pictured is the show's lead, John C. Reilly, who portrays former Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss.
They're pictured on a green-screened set, in front of players wearing classic early-1980s Lakers warmup sweats. This looks to be a recreation either of the then-Forum due to the spiffy yellow seats over Chiklis's left shoulder, but it's possible this is just supposed to be a decked-out practice facility.
The show tracks one of your Los Angeles Lakers' classic dynastic eras, starting in 1979 with Buss sinking practically his entire fortune into his acquisition of the Lakers from previous owner Jack Kent Cooke (Michael O'Keefe). Auerbach is a more peripheral figure in the show's 10-episode first season.
The first season details the team's entire 1979-80 season, during which Dr. Buss wasn't the only Laker rookie of consequence. 6'9" Michigan State point guard Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) was the team's other big new addition that year. He and reigning All-Star center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes) joined forces to lead the Lakers to the 1980 NBA title in a six-game defeat of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Head coach Paul Westphal (Jason Segel) and Laker-turned-assistant coach Pat Riley (Adrian Brody) led the team from the bench, while behind the scenes, passionate Laker legend Jerry West (Jason Clarke) worked on the team-building side under GM Bill Sharman (Brett Cullen), all while Buss navigated his first L.A. season, the ailing health of his mother Jessie (Sally Field), and the aspirations of his ambitious daughter Jeanie (Hadley Robinson).
