KEY POINTS

  • HBO casts Adrien Brody to take on the role of legendary NBA coach Pat Riley
  • The biopic on the 1980's "Showtime" Lakers has yet to get an official name
  • The Lakers' storied run during the 1980s will feature professional and personal lives of the "Showtime" core

Before the Chicago Bulls made that historic romp in the 1990s, the Los Angeles Lakers had their share of the limelight in the 1980s.

Considered one of the premier teams of that time, HBO is brewing up another special NBA series covering the Lakers of that era handled by current Miami Heat president Pat Riley.

The official title for the HBO series has yet to be known. It was ordered in December 2019 with the intent of digging into the lives of the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Lakers squad that was also known as the “Showtime Era.”

The HBO special will be based on the book of Jeff Pearlman, “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.”

For those who may not be aware, the Lakers won four titles between the 1979-80 and 1989-90 seasons.

Among the notable names for the Purple and Gold at that time were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and James Worthy who did battle their chief Eastern Conference nemesis Boston Celtics.

The Cs were then led by big names like Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Danny Ainge and Dennis Johnson among others.

According to Joe Otterson of Variety, actor-producer Adrien Brody will take on the role of Pat Riley for the “Showtime” Lakers.

Brody is an Academy Award winner for his role on “The Pianist.” Aside from that, the 47-year-old has also appeared in flicks like “Predators,” “King Kong” and “The Grand Budapest Hotel."

Adrien Brody
Adrien Brody attends the screening of "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood" during the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2019 in Cannes, France. Toni Anne Barson/FilmMagic

Also, Brody will be seen in Wes Anderson’s new film, “The French Dispatch,” Netflix’s “Blonde” and the TV series “Chapelwaite” for Epix.

The award-winning actor also recently co-wrote, scored, produced, and starred in the action film “Clean.”

Behind the scenes, it will be Max Borenstein serving as the writer and executive producer for the HBO project. Adam McKay directed the pilot along with Kevin Messick of Hyperobject and Jason Shuman.

Jim Hecht co-wrote the story and will be part of the production team as well as Scott Stephens and Rodney Barnes.

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