Just finished season 2 last night. I loved this show and wish it got picked up, and I'm a Celtics fan and hate the Lakers. But the production costs, licensing, pushback from the individuals portrayed, and the strike all combined at the same time HBO is going through a total reorganization and they're cutting programming, so yeah, it was doomed. Maybe a Netflix or someone picks it up but I don't think they'll be able to give the same budget and production values.
Regardless of whether it was accurate to the man or not and regardless of any hurt feelings from Laker people, Jason Clarke's Jerry West is the best TV character of the decade. I'd pay to see more of him. Brody was great as Pat Riley, and even though they flattened Westhead's character a lot in season 2, I did like Segel as him.
The second season was really rushed. I'm not sure if they were given a full ten and then later had to cut everything down to 7 episodes and had to rush through plot points, as has been mentioned a lot could've been drawn out and explored more like Nixon's trade and the 83 finals. Guys like James Worthy and Byron Scott were even barely mentioned. I'm sure they'd be bigger characters if it continued through the late 80s. Feels a lot was cut out or skipped over, even though they waste so much time on boring Magic and Cookie scenes. And Gillian Jacobs is credited in the opening credits but has maybe 3 short scenes the entire season.
The abruptness of the ending though kind of works though, if that makes any sense. Like, by ending there with a defeat, the entire tone of the project changes.
