Unveiling the Legend: The Iconic 1980 Lakers Roster Dominating the NBA in Winning Time Season 2

Summary

Winning Time season 2 presents a fictionalized version of the Lakers' rise to championship glory, with creative liberties taken to enhance the drama.

The cast of Winning Time is cleverly chosen, with actors like Quincy Isaiah portraying Magic Johnson and Solomon Hughes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, accurately resembling their real-life counterparts. The on-screen portrayals of the 1980-81 Lakers team members, such as Norm Nixon and Jim Chones, are enhanced by mentioning their real-life stats to provide context.

The iconic 1980-81 Los Angeles Lakers team is prominently featured in season 2 of HBO's Winning Time: The Rise of The Lakers Dynasty. This popular series combines a fictionalized approach to modern basketball with a vibrant entertainment scene. Jerry Buss (played by John C. Reilly) plays a major role in the transformation of the Showtime Lakers and their unlikely journey to winning the 1980 NBA Championship, as shown in season 1 of Winning Time.

In season 2, episode 1 of Winning Time, the Lakers franchise continues to evolve, presenting Magic Johnson with new challenges in both his personal and family life. The meticulously chosen cast of Winning Time further enhances the documentary-style presentation of the series. While some elements may appear based on reality, they are in fact creative fabrications designed to heighten the drama. Here is the talented ensemble cast that portrays each member of the iconic 1980-81 Lakers team.

Quincy Isaiah As Magic Johnson

Solomon Hughes As Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Quincy Isaiah perfectly embodies the resemblance of the Lakers' blossoming sensation, Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Notably, Isaiah has showcased his talents in a memorable episode of A Black Lady Sketch Show in 2023 and also starred in the 2018 short film named Corporate Coffee. Just like the character he portrays in Winning Time, Isaiah swiftly soared to stardom despite his limited prior experience. In the 1980-81 season, the real-life Magic Johnson impressively averaged 21.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.6 assists over the course of 1371 action-packed minutes. Furthermore, Winning Time season 2, episode 1 captivatingly portrayed the unfortunate 45-game absence of Magic due to a knee injury.

In Winning Time, Soloman Hughes takes on the role of the iconic Lakers center, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Despite having little to no professional acting experience, Hughes does have a background in basketball, having played in college. Standing at an impressive height of 6 foot 11, Hughes had initially planned to play for Tulane University but ultimately did not enroll, resulting in a two-year ban from NCAA play. With a Ph.D. and teaching experience from Stanford University, Hughes is also highly esteemed as an educator. As for Abdul-Jabbar, in the 1980-81 season, he accumulated a total of 2796 minutes on the court, and averaged 26.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, showcasing his incredible skills in his eleventh NBA season.

DeVaughn Nixon As Norm Nixon

DeVaughn Nixon, who plays the role of Norm Nixon on HBO's Winning Time, is actually the real-life son of the former Lakers guard. Unlike Isaiah and Hughes, Nixon has a wealth of experience in professional acting. He has appeared in various notable productions such as nine episodes of the FX series Snowfall as Kane Hamilton, the 1992 film The Bodyguard, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, where he portrayed the young Danny Dyson. His father, Norm, had an exceptional season with the 1980-81 Lakers, which is depicted in Season 2 of Winning Time. Norm played a total of 2962 minutes and had an impressive average of 17.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 8.8 assists.

Jimel Atkins As Jamaal Wilkes

Winning Time features Jimel Atkins portraying Lakers small forward Jamaal Wilkes. Atkins has also showcased his talent in six episodes of David Makes Man, an original series on OWN, in the role of Ray Kelly. Additionally, he appeared as Marine #1 in the highly acclaimed Netflix series Mindhunter. The actual Jamaal Wilkes, who served as a real-life inspiration, holds the record for playing the most minutes in the 1980-81 Lakers team, accumulating a phenomenal total of 3028 minutes on the court. Throughout that season, Wilkes maintained impressive averages, including 22.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists.

Newton Mayenge As Jim Chones

Delante Desouza As Michael Cooper

Newton Mayenge portrays Lakers power forward Jim Chones in the film Winning Time. Mayenge has previously acted in several short films, including One Night with Love (2023), The Umbra (2022), You're Not Happy (2022), and Dark Tales (2021). In real life, Chones had an impressive performance during the 1980-81 NBA season, playing 2562 minutes and averaging 10.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.

Delante Desouza takes on the role of Lakers shooting guard Michael Cooper in the acclaimed series Winning Time. Surprisingly, Desouza had little to no prior professional acting experience or credits before landing his part in this popular HBO show. While he had appeared in two short films, namely Ping Pong in 2023 and Distorted Reality in 2019, his portrayal of Michael Cooper marked his breakout performance. As a key contributor to the Lakers' success during the 1980-81 season, particularly in the absence of Magic Johnson, Cooper averaged an impressive 9.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, accumulating a total of 2625 minutes played.

Jyn Gittens As Jim Brewer

Jyn Gittens portrays Jim Brewer, the power forward for the Lakers, in Winning Time. Gittens is known for his roles in the recent remake of White Men Can't Jump, a single episode of HBO's The Hype, and as a background actor on HBO's Insecure. During the 1980-81 NBA season, the real-life Brewer played a total of 1107 minutes and averaged 2.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game.

Austin Aaron As Mark Landsberger

In Winning Time, Austin Aaron portrays Mark Landsberger, the power forward of the Lakers. Prior to joining the cast of Winning Time, Aaron gained recognition for his role as Luke Holiday / Jock in the popular Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, appearing in 23 episodes. He also made a notable appearance as Deputy Long in Mayans M.C.

Mark Landsberger, the real-life counterpart, had an impressive performance during the 1980-81 NBA season, playing a total of 1086 minutes. With an average of 5.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game.

Larry Fields As Eddie Jordan

Malcolm Walters As Butch Carter

Larry Fields takes on the role of Lakers' point guard Eddie Jordan in the captivating drama, Winning Time. Known for his portrayal of PHD Monk in the highly acclaimed basketball video game NBA 2K23, Fields has proven his versatility as an actor. He has also made appearances in popular shows like I Love That For You on Showtime, as well as notable TV series such as Into the Dark and Flog. In real life, Eddie Jordan made a significant impact on the court, playing a staggering 987 minutes for the Lakers during the 1980-81 NBA season. With an average of 5.1 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, Jordan's skills and contributions were undoubtedly noteworthy.

Malcolm Waters takes on the role of Butch Carter, the small forward for the Lakers, in the highly anticipated film Winning Time. Prior to this, Waters gained recognition for his portrayal of Jermaine in the 2023 movie Shooting Stars, which followed the journey of LeBron James' high school basketball team. In addition, he made a brief appearance as a background actor in the acclaimed film Judas and the Black Messiah in 2021. As for the real-life Butch Carter, he had an impressive performance during the 1980-81 NBA season, accumulating a total of 672 minutes on the court and maintaining averages of 5.6 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assist per game.

Mike Boorn As Brad Holland

Joseph Kuo As Alan Hardy

Mike Boorn stars as Brad Holland, the Lakers shooting guard, in the compelling series Winning Time. Boorn, also known professionally as Mike Boornazian, had minimal acting experience prior to his notable role in this HBO production. In real life, Holland served as a reserve player for the Lakers during the 1980-81 season, recording an average of 3.2 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game across 295 minutes on the court.

Portraying Lakers shooting guard Alan Hardy in Winning Time is Joseph Kuo, whose filmography also includes a role in the 2023 movie The Valediction. Throughout the 1980-81 Lakers season, Hardy accumulated a total of 111 minutes on the court, with an average of 2.3 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.1 assists during his playing time.

Source: Basketball Reference