“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” Executive Producers Salli Richardson-Whitfield and Rodney Barnes are back for ‘Winning Time’s season 2. Whitfield will be returning to direct episodes, while Barnes will contribute his exceptional writing skills to the upcoming season. Both worked on the first season, with Barnes co-writing nine out of ten episodes and Whitfield directing two episodes.

“Winning Time” is a captivating dramatization that delves into the professional and personal lives of the iconic Los Angeles Lakers basketball teams from the 1980s. The first season primarily focuses on the 1979-1980 NBA season, showcasing the tenure of Jerry Buss as owner and the rookie year of the legendary Magic Johnson.

While we’re unsure how many episodes Barnes (we think its 8) is penning, Richardson-Whitfield is back to direct three episodes in the upcoming second season. This exclusive news, along with a thrilling sneak peek at the upcoming season, was revealed by Esquire.

“Winning Time” gained a dedicated following among basketball enthusiasts and fans of power-driven dramas when it premiered in Spring 2022. The show brilliantly portrayed the origins of the legendary Showtime Lakers, with standout performances from Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson, Solomon Hughes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and John C. Reilly as sports owner Jerry Buss.

The much-awaited Season 2 of “Winning Time” is slated to release later this summer, with HBO yet to announce an exact date. However, Esquire was given an exclusive first look into the highly anticipated season, covering multiple seasons from 1980 to 1984. The era saw the Lakers’ rise to dominance, culminating in a captivating showdown between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, two iconic basketball stars of the time.

The star-studded cast includes John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, Adrien Brody, Jason Clarke, Gaby Hoffmann, Jason Segel, Hadley Robinson, DeVaughn Nixon, Solomon Hughes, Tamera Tomakili, Brett Cullen, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Spencer Garrett, Molly Gordon, Joey Brooks, Delante Desouza, Jimel Atkins, Austin Aaron, McCabe Slye, Thomas Mann, Gillian Jacobs, with Michael Chiklis and Rob Morgan.

With a remarkable team behind the scenes, including Adam McKay and Kevin Messick as Executive Producers, Max Borenstein as the Showrunner/Executive Producer/Writer/Co-Creator, and Jim Hecht and Rodney Barnes as Executive Producers and writers, “Winning Time” Season 2 promises to captivate audiences once again with its compelling storytelling and top-notch production quality.