HBO to Team With Adam McKay on Scripted Showtime Lakers Series

By Will Thorne

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – HBO is bringing the Showtime Lakers to the scripted arena with “Showtime,” Variety has confirmed.

The series, which has received a pilot order at the cabler, hails from , who will direct. “Showtime” will be based on Jeff Pearlman’s non-fiction book “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.”

“Jeff Pearlman’s book and Max Borenstein’s script of the story of the Showtime Lakers really knocked me over. Sexism, racism, tragedy, redemption, no look passes and a giant cultural shift in America… I can’t wait to start filming,” said McKay.

The Showtime Lakers was a basketball dynasty which dominated the NBA during the 1980s. At the time, the Lakers were coached by the legendary Pat Riley, and had the unstoppable duo of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar leading the way. The Showtime Lakers team also featured the likes of Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy, Byron Scott, and Michael Cooper.

Casting on the pilot has already begun, with production scheduled for this summer.

Max Borenstein penned the script and will executive produce alongside Kevin Messick, Jason Shuman and Jim Hecht, who co-write the story.

News of the project comes only a couple weeks after McKay announced he was parting ways with longterm producing partner Will Ferrell, with whom he founded the Gary Sanchez Productions banner. The announcement clarified that both Gary Sanchez and Gloria Sanchez Productions will continue with all existing projects through completion, and that all current projects will continue to be developed by the attached producers.