On Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers formally announced an untitled nine-part documentary series chronicling the history of the storied franchise.
We don't know a ton of specifics, yet, though we can make a few presumptions on which indelible moments, players, eras, and stories will be covered.
“When Dr. Buss bought the Lakers in 1979, he sat alone at center court of the Forum and thought of all the possibilities,” Jeanie Buss said in the press release. “But even in his wildest dreams, my father could not have imagined what the next decades would bring for our organization, our league and our city of Los Angeles. I am thrilled that the true story of the Lakers will finally be shared with the world.”
Here are nine things we do know about the upcoming Lakers doc.
1) It will air on Hulu in 2022
Hulu has been awarded the rights to distribute the documentary, which will air sometime in 2022.
“The Los Angeles Lakers are one of sports' most illustrious franchises,” Hulu's VP of original documentaries Belisa Balaban said. “Theirs is a history of epic highs and tragic lows, and generations of legendary players and teams who have made a profound impact, not just on the sports world, but on the culture.”
No release date was announced, yet.
You will hear the true stories behind your favorite franchise. Thank you @Hulu for giving us the platform to share Dr. Buss’ vision for Los Angeles and the merging of sports and entertainment. #LakersDoc https://t.co/n4NVCd0lW5
— Jeanie Buss (@JeanieBuss) May 10, 2021
2) The documentary will primarily focus on the decades the Buss family has owned the team
In 1979, the Buss family purchased controlling interest of the Lakers and drafted Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Less than a year later, the rookie point guard stepped in at center for an injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (the league MVP) in Game 6 of the Finals and earned his first ring.
The Lakers franchise had achieved success prior to Johnson's arrival: five titles with George Mikan in Minneapolis, and one title and seven Finals appearances in the 1960s and 1970s with Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich, and Wilt Chamberlain. While the doc will surely provide historical context, the bulk of it will focus on the Buss' reign.
“Starting from his acquisition of the team in 1979, the docuseries captures Jerry Buss’ remarkable journey to build, sustain and pass on a family-run sports empire,” the announcement stated. “The project will offer a fresh and revealing look inside the legendary ‘Showtime' era that saw the team win five NBA titles and turned the Forum into Hollywood’s hottest ticket throughout the 1980s.”
The untitled docuseries project that is slated to debut on Hulu in 2022 details the past four decades of the Lakers starting with Jerry Buss purchasing the organization in 1979. pic.twitter.com/Lls5D7K6uD
— LakeShow (@LakeShowCP) May 10, 2021
3) There will be plenty of Shaq and Kobe…
“The series also details the high-stakes drama off the court and incredible successes of the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal-led championship teams,” per the press release.
There's no shortage of material about the three-peat era and the decade O'Neal and Bryant spent together as teammates in purple-and-gold. Phil Jackson wrote multiple books on it. But, considering the winning, the drama, the relationships, the characters, and the aftermath — there's arguably no more compelling team in NBA history.
Maybe this will be shown:
4) … And LeBron James and Anthony Davis
The doc will aim to capture the “cultural impact of the Lakers franchise and rebirth of the team, culminating with the 2020 NBA championship led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis.”
Hopefully, we'll get some new insights into life in the bubble, Klutch Sports' impact on the organization, and the pursuits to acquire James and Davis.
5) It will be produced by Antoine Fuqua's company, Fuqua Films.
Fuqua directed Training Day and numerous sports docs, among other projects.
The announcement says the doc will include “interviews with a range of high-profile fans.” Notably, one of Fuqua's frequent collaborators, Denzel Washington, is a famous celebrity Lakers fan, so I would not be surprised to see the legendary actor make an appearance. Of course, we hope Jack is involved, too.
“We are proud to bring this docuseries to the world and shed light on the legendary history of the Lakers,” Fuqua said. “This expansive look into one of the greatest sports franchises of all time is a project we all feel deeply passionate about.”
Haven Entertainment and the Los Angeles Media Fund are producing, too. LeBron and Maverick Carters' prolific SpringHill Company is not participating.
6) We'll get a wave of new interviews
According to the press release, the series “contains colorful and emotional new interviews from over 35 people within the organization, including the Buss family, legendary coaches Pat Riley and Phil Jackson, and NBA Hall of Famers Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and team captain Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, among numerous other current and former players,”
Personally, I would like to hear from Nick Van Exel — about the mid-90s Lakers, or anything else, for that matter.
7) There will be juicy, never-before-seen footage.
Besides a tipsy Michael Jordan reminding every person he's ever come across that they are not — and never have been — on his level, The Last Dance was offered such compelling and entertaining storytelling because of the access granted to a camera crew in 1998 (an idea spearheaded by Adam Silver and Klay Thompson's uncle, Andy).
In a similar fashion, the Lakers doc will contain “a treasure trove of archival footage”, per the release.
Between the glitz and the glamour of the Forum Club days, the personalities of the 1990s-00s, Bryant's triumphant post-2004 turnaround culminating in back-to-back rings, and the recent revampings and bubble success, there should be a surplus of amazing behind-the-scenes moments.
8) We'll hear from Dr. Buss
The announcement notes that the archival footage will include “never-before-seen interviews with the Lakers late owner, Jerry Buss.”
Dr. Buss, who died in 2013, famously lived a high-rolling lifestyle full of Playboy Mansion visits, poker games, and smoky late-night billiards sessions. He also formed deep bonds with his players, especially during the Showtime era. In other words: he's got stories.
9) The next year will be rife with Lakers content
In addition to Hulu and Fuqua's all-encompassing look at the franchise, three other noteworthy multi-part Lakers productions are in the works.
The Big Short writer/director Adam McKay is currently creating a scripted drama series for HBO on the “Showtime” era, which Jeanie Buss says the franchise is not involved with.
“That’s something different. There is a series being developed at HBO — a scripted series that we are not involved in — and I really don’t know how they’re going to tell our story if we’re not involved in it,” Buss said on All the Smoke.
We're also expecting two “Last Dance”-style documentaries. A film on Magic Johnson is set to drop later in 2021, while a Kobe Bryant documentary is in the works, too, based on the exclusive access Bryant gave a camera crew for his final season of 2015-16.
Follow Us
Subscribe