HBO has canceled the critically acclaimed series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty based on the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers teams led by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The network announced that the show's season finale, aired on Sunday, would be the final episode of the show, which lasted two seasons and 17 episodes.
The scripted series is mostly based on factual events, but some of the aspects of the story were made with creative freedom.
Lakers team governor Jeanie Buss approved the show's second season after not being too keen on the first.
The show's fate was already in peril even before the official cancellation.
Author Jeff Pearlman, who wrote the source material of the series, pleaded with fans to watch the show to increase viewership, as numbers were below expectations and HBO was considering axing the show.
The ongoing writers' strike also contributed to the show's demise, with the network needing to cut losses.
Read more: Markieff Morris Vows to Get Revenge on Current NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic for 2021 Incident
Show ended on a cliffhanger
Since the show was written with the expectation of lasting beyond two seasons, the final episode ended in a cliffhanger.
Ironically, the show concluded with the storyline being in the 1984 NBA Finals, wherein the Boston Celtics defeated the Lakers in seven games.
The series will not be able to showcase the Lakers' further championships, which included revenge on their eternal rivals by winning the 1985 and 1987 NBA Finals and another title in 1988 against the Pistons.
Related Article: Former Player Metta World Peace Reveals One Career Wish in 19 Seasons Playing in the NBA
© 2023 Sportsworldnews.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
