Fact-checking "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" — Season 2, Episode 7

09/18/2023 01:00 AM

The creative team behind Season 2 of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty compiled a companion guide outlining the historical accuracy of each episode, which was provided to ClutchPoints’ Lakers reporter.

"We felt it important to show our work out of respect for the many living characters depicted," the creators wrote. (Episodes begin with a disclaimer: "This series is a dramatization of certain facts and events. Some of the names have been changed and some of the events and characters have been fictionalized, modified or composited for dramatic purposes.")

Episode 6, Beat L.A, zooms through the 1982-83 season — culminating with the Philadelphia 76ers handling the Lakers in the Finals — and the 1983-84 season, which included the shrewd trade of Norm Nixon for Byron Scott that helped propel the Lakers back to the Finals…to finally get a crack at the Boston Celtics.

Sadly, shortly before airing, showrunner Max Borenstein confirmed that Season 2, Episode 7 would be the series finale.

Here’s what goes down in What Is and What Should Never Be and how it represents what actually happened. Spoilers aplenty.

At long last, we've reached the 1984 NBA Finals. (This episode is heavy on in-game scenes, which the series consistently aced. Check out my Q&A with Idan Ravin, a prolific NBA trainer who oversaw basketball matters on the show.)

The finale picks up where the premiere began: with the Lakers escaping the Boston Garden after stealing Game 1, as angry Celtics fans pellet their bus. The Lakers are feeling themselves. ("This right here feels like a sweep," an over-confident Magic Johnson says. Pat Riley tries to humble him.)

For the ’84 Finals, the production adhered as closely as possible to the real-life action. With 18 seconds left in Game 2: James Worthy throws a pass away to Gerald Henderson, who scores the tying layup. Magic, with the game on the line, passes up Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the post and fails to get a shot up before time expires. The Celtics won by three in overtime. (The press would soon break out the “Tragic Magic” and “Tragic Johnson” nicknames.)

"We snatched defeat from victory," Abdul-Jabbar said in Jeff Pearlman's source text.

In between games, Magic goes to Jerry West for advice. ("Earvin, you ask me, you got too much b*llsh*t in your noggin'. It's f*ck*n’ with your focus … You want to beat [Bird] so f*ck*n bad, you're forgetting about your teammates.") The meeting itself didn't transpire, but Magic did rely on the Logo for reassurance following his freeze-up in Boston.

"I think Jerry knew I needed a hug and just a shoulder to lean on and he became that shoulder every day … It was the worst summer I ever had," West quotes Magic as saying in his memoir, West by West.

The Lakers bounced back in Game 3 with a 137-104 explosion at the Forum. Magic set a Finals-record 21 assists. Afterward, Bird really did tell the media that his teammates "played like sissies", adding: "When you see Magic slapping high fives and guys going behind their backs and shooting layups on us all day long, it seems like someone would try to put a stop to it."

When asked what needs to change, Bird responds: "Go to the hospital and get 12 heart transplants." Also, a real quote. (Hard to imagine a star in 2023 publicly admonishing his squad in the same fashion.)

Game 4 features the infamous clotheslines from Kevin McHale on Kurt Rambis. The Lakers are seeking a 3-1 lead and controlling the action. On yet another fast break, Rambis gets mauled by McHale, causing both benches to clear. (It was ruled a flagrant foul. These days, it would surely earn McHale an ejection and suspension.) The show recreates the iconic moment down to a T.

The "tactic" worked. The game quickly turned into a rock fight and the Lakers became “unglued,” said Riley. Bird really did shove Michael Cooper into courtside photographers (also might garner an ejection and suspension today). And yes, Kareem really did tell Bird: "I will f*ck you up, white boy.”

Bird splashed the game-winner over Magic.

Game 5 was played on one of the most humid days in the history of Boston. The arena had no air conditioning (not ideal for 2014 LeBron James), except in the Celtics locker room. Red Auerbach, anticipating the conditions, apparently brought extra ice for his team.

The showers in the Lakers locker room — devoid of AC — only got hot water. (To make matters worse, Bostonians spent the night before pulling fire alarms at the Lakers hotel.)

Bird — used to the summertime Indiana heat — had no issues. The Lakers deeply struggled. Kareem was forced to sit on the bench with an oxygen mask at a crucial moment. A referee really did faint.

The Celtics won, 121-103. To this day, the Lakers believe Auerbach set it all up. (The show even includes a moment in which Auerbach asks an arena worker about the shower water.)

Kareem deals with a pregame migraine before Game 6 in Los Angeles. Following a soothing convo with Magic (unclear if that happened), Kareem drops 30 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Lakers to an 11-point victory. In truth, Kareem suffered six migraines in nine days.

In Game 7, a late surge cuts the Lakers’ deficit to three (as shown), but it was too little, too late. The Celtics triumphed, 111-102. Bird took MVP. Kareem and Rambis punch Celtics fans storming the court….which actually happened.

So, the narrative of Winning Time: The Rise of The Lakers Dynasty abruptly concludes before the Lakers get their vengeance in 1985 and finally defeat the Celtics. Alas.

Other subplots in What Is and What Should Never Be:

• In a previous episode, Clare Rothman, President of the Forum, advises Dr. Buss to bet on a lucrative future between sports and cable. She was validated in June 1984, when the NBA signed a landmark $20 million pact with TBS.
• Jeanie Buss discloses team payroll information to her boyfriend, Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jay Wells, amid his contract negotiations (true). Jeanie later claimed she was "flabbergasted" that the NHL didn't make players' salaries known and was displeased about the disconnect between players and owners. Of course, that would evolve over time.
• Linda Zafrani references a burgeoning relationship with Rambis. IRL, they began dating in 1982 and wed in 1985. They remain married and both are still involved with the Lakers.

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