The pacing of this series is probably one of the most insanely messy structures that has been seen in both film and television with some episodes taking place over several years and others taking place in one single playoff series. There were many compelling stories that were worth the watch but with all of them being presented at once causing a complete and utter lack of focus and substance. If there is any reason to see this series, it is definitely for the performances which include career bests for much of the cast including Jason Clarke, John C. Reilly, Adrien Brody, and Jason Segel where these performances create characters fully developed and yet without a solid footing. Quincy Isaiah and Solomon Hughes have the difficult task of playing iconic figures playing Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and yet they dive right into them giving a flesh to these characters that make them enjoyable from start to finish. Jason Clarke develops this character below the radar with a deliberate comedic energy that is full of passion and easily makes the blood of the entire series pump. John C Reilly is playing a character that is consistently reprehensible exhibiting unforgivable flaws, but still draws you in to his needs and motivations in a surprising level of empathy. Adrien Brody had to go through an intense transition that is one of the most satisfying of the series and powerful by the end where he is not only a perfect depiction of the person he's playing but a fully fledged character. Jason Segel has one of the most difficult characters to play being both unlikable but desperate in his pursuit that gives him a great deal of dimension. The main controversy of whether or not facts and portrayal of the real life characters are accurate has followed this series for two seasons and that pursuit of depiction ends up affecting the narrative in overblown ways. There is obvious dramatic flourish which comes from all of these moments and honestly those are the elements that are more of a positive for this series. You can tell Adam McKay has a reverence for the game of basketball and you can see this in those scenes which are covered wonderfully and really show the sport in the center of the storytelling helping with elevation. However, McKay’s voice in this series also comes with his inconsistent and boisterous style that ranges from magnetic and fascinating to incoherent and distracting. It’s difficult to understand the point of this series. It was obviously there to chronicle the rise of the Lakers dynasty but it goes from the first season covering one season of basketball and then the second season covers far too many with concluding title cards that cover the rest of the story. This is of course due to outside forces that are not the fault of the series but still make everything jarring with a conclusion full of way too many loose ends. Three to four seasons of television took place within this one season and there is a lot in there that is fun to watch but instead everything feels so overstuffed and rushed that it ends up never working properly. This series has such a degree of promise but it ends up disappointing never reaching the potential of what is being covered. This series is currently available to stream on Max