Even if you’re not a sports fan, you’re probably familiar with the Los Angeles Lakers and the team’s “Showtime” era of the ‘80s. That’s when you had players like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Larry Bird. And just based on that, there are likely quite a few people interested in seeing what the untitled HBO sports drama series about that team will look like. Well, the full cast is finishing being announced, and the star power of the actors alone definitely brings to mind its own “Showtime” status.
According to Variety, actors Jason Segel and Bo Burnham are the latest folks to join the ensemble cast of the sports drama HBO is developing about the ‘80s Los Angeles Lakers. In the show, Segel is expected to play Paul Westhead, while Burnham will actually portray the legendary Larry Bird. Both Segel and Burnham are known best for their comedic roles, so it’ll be interesting to see what vibe they bring to the new series, which is produced and directed by Adam McKay.
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These two actors are joining a huge ensemble that already includes Adrien Brody as Pat Riley, Sally Field as Jessie Buss, and Michael Chiklis as Red Auerbach, John C. Reilly as Jerry Buss, Jason Clarke as Jerry West, Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson, Solomon Hughes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Gaby Hoffmann as Claire Rothman, Hadley Robinson as Jeanie Buss, DeVaughn Nixon as Norm Nixon, Molly Gordon as Linda Zafrani, Rob Morgan as Earvin Johnson Sr., Spencer Garrett as Chick Hearn, Kirk Bovill as Donald Sterling, Delante Desouza as Michael Cooper, Stephen Adly Guirgis as Frank Mariani, Tamera Tomakili as Earletha ‘Cookie’ Kelly, and Joey Brooks as Lon Rosen.
As mentioned, the series is produced by Adam McKay, who also helmed the pilot episode. Max Borenstein is the writer and producer, as well. The series is based on Jeff Pearlman’s non-fiction book “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.”
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Clearly, HBO is putting a lot of star power in this series. And considering the network has to try to keep up with Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV+, and Disney+ in the streaming space, it makes sense. The pilot for the untitled sports drama has already been shot, but a release date for the series has yet to be revealed.