All about Kareem | 'Winning Time'

Explicit content warning

04/04/22 • 28 min

There may be no figure in Lakers history more misunderstood than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And "Winning Time" tries to correct, or at least complicate, the record.

In this episode of "Binge Sesh," hosts Matt Brennan and Kareem Maddox discuss the perception and reality of the NBA's all-time leading point scorer. With insights from an array of special guests — including Solomon Hughes, who plays the Lakers legend in HBO's drama series — we look back over Abdul-Jabbar's career as a star center and civil rights activist to answer the question: Has he been unfairly excluded from the conversation about basketball's greatest-ever player?

For the podcast transcript, production stills, real-life photos and links to much more, visit the episode page on latimes.com.

There may be no figure in Lakers history more misunderstood than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And "Winning Time" tries to correct, or at least complicate, the record.

For the podcast transcript, production stills, real-life photos and links to much more, visit the episode page on latimes.com.

Previous Episode

Dr. B & the women | 'Winning Time'

In the male-dominated world of the Showtime Lakers, two women emerged as key figures: Jeanie Buss, daughter of and successor to team owner Jerry Buss, and her mentor Claire Rothman, the Forum's general manager and vice president.

In this episode of "Binge Sesh," hosts Matt Brennan and Kareem Maddox examine "Winning Time's" depiction of women, with the help of actor Gaby Hoffmann, who plays Rothman, and Rebecca Bertuch, a writer for the HBO drama. Sifting through what's fact, what's fiction and what's something in between, we examine whether a story can be honest without being fully true. And we ask whether the series solves the problem posed by its womanizing protagonist, Jerry Buss.

For the podcast transcript, production stills, real-life photos and links to much more, visit the episode page on latimes.com.

Next Episode

A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum | 'Winning Time'

The Laker Girls. The Forum Club. Celebrities sitting courtside. The beating heart of Showtime-era Los Angeles was the "Fabulous Forum."

In this episode of "Binge Sesh," hosts Matt Brennan and Kareem Maddox dive into the history of the Lakers' longtime home. We look back on the Forum's construction in the 1960s, its heyday under Lakers owner Jerry Buss and Forum general manager Claire Rothman, and the team's move to the Staples Center to understand how a sports arena became the perfect symbol of 20th century L.A.

For the podcast transcript, photos and links to much more, visit the episode page on latimes.com.