Life during wartime | 'Winning Time'

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04/25/22 • 25 min

What does it mean to say the NBA had a drug problem in the 1970s and 1980s?

In this episode of "Binge Sesh," hosts Matt Brennan and Kareem Maddox examine recreational drug use in professional basketball in the Showtime era. Zooming in on the depiction of Spencer Haywood in HBO's "Winning Time" and zooming out to the U.S. government's war on drugs, we deconstruct the rhetoric — from politicians, the press, even players — that shaped perceptions of the NBA and explain how systemic racism turned a health crisis into a moral panic.

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

What does it mean to say the NBA had a drug problem in the 1970s and 1980s?

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

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Brought to you by ... | 'Winning Time'

Sure, the best professional athletes pull in salaries to match. But to find the real money in sports, you need to look someplace else: endorsements.

In this episode of "Binge Sesh," hosts Matt Brennan and Kareem Maddox draw inspiration from Nike cofounder Phil Knight's pursuit of Magic Johnson in "Winning Time." With help from the HBO series' executive producer Rodney Barnes and industry insiders, we explore the origin, development and explosion of athlete endorsement deals, from a $6.6-million baseball card to social media "microinfluencers" and more.

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

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How to survive a plague | 'Winning Time'

At a time when HIV was still seen as a death sentence, Magic Johnson shocked the world by announcing he was infected. But the bigger shock may have been what happened next.

In this episode of “Binge Sesh,” hosts Matt Brennan and Kareem Maddox explore the defining moment that opens HBO’s “Winning Time”: Magic Johnson’s 1991 diagnosis with HIV. With help from experts and Johnson’s fans, we reflect on the announcement’s seismic impact and explore how it changed the face of the disease at the height of the AIDS crisis.

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