2023 was filled with some crushing cancellations, but few could match up to the devastating loss of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. It was confirmed in September that the sports dramedy had been axed after two seasons. The decision was met with a flurry of responses from fans who expressed disappointment over the turn of events. In the aftermath, one can’t help but wonder how the stars themselves feel about the situation. Now months later, Quincy Isaiah – who played Earvin “Magic” Johnson on the show – is opening up about whether he thought the series would ultimately get the boot.
Winning Time marked the first high-profile role for Quincy Isaiah, who made a solid impression in the role of the legendary Lakers point guard. The rising actor’s passion for the role and the production as a whole was definitely palpable. Like many of the fans, Isaiah obviously would’ve loved for the show to have continued its run on HBO. However, he also admitted that he could see the writing was on the wall early on:
Because the season one numbers were mediocre, they’d said, season two had to make a splash and people were saying they didn’t even know it was on. So, the writing was on the wall. By the time we got the phone call, I knew. My thing during that whole process was like, ‘I just want to know whether it’s coming back, I need to know what my life is going to look like after this.’ Honestly, once I heard we were getting canceled, it was a relief. My shoulders went down. Because as much as I wanted to come back, it was like, ‘OK, now I know. It’s time to hit the pavement again.’
The first season did drum up some buzz on social media, though that attention didn’t exactly translate into high ratings. Lackluster viewership numbers carried into the second season (which aired as part of the 2023 TV schedule) as well, to the point where Jeff Pearlman, who wrote the book on which the show was based, was practically begging people to tune in. So, by the sound of it, Quincy Isaiah wasn’t too shocked by how everything panned out. The sentiments he shared with THR are unfortunate, but they indicate his maturity and understanding of how the entertainment industry works.
The end of Winning Time was disappointing, as the show concluded with the Lakers losing to the Boston Celtics in the 1984 NBA Finals. An epilogue scene was subsequently filmed, which shows team LA team owner Jerry Buss and his daughter, Jeanie, expressing optimism about the franchise’s future. That might’ve provided consolation for some, yet others still remained unsatisfied with what they felt was a premature conclusion. For his part though, Quincy Isaiah is seemingly choosing to remain optimistic, just like the character he played. He also discussed some of the post-cancellation interactions he's had with fans:
‘Hey, Magic. What’s up?’ Or, ‘Man, they did y’all dirty, you were supposed to get to season three. I signed a petition and everything.’ It’s dope hearing that excitement in their voice. We left them wanting more.
Based on reactions from fans across social media, I have to agree that the star and his castmates left fans wanting more. It’s definitely a shame that there won’t be any more episodes made. At the very least, we can be glad that the show existed at all – and graced us with Quincy Isaiah’s winning performance.
Both seasons of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty are still available to stream with a Max subscription.
