HBO scores untitled LA Lakers basketball drama

HBO has ordered a drama from the prodco recently launched by Succession’s Adam McKay, which will chronicle the professional and personal lives of the famous 1980s Los Angeles Lakers basketball team.

The untitled series is based on Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s, with McKay’s Hyperobject Industries producing.

The pilot has been directed and executive produced by McKay, with Kevin Messick executive producing alongside Max Borenstein, who is writing alongside Jim Hecht. Jason Shuman, Scott Stephens and Rodney Barnes will also exec produce.

“Alongside Adam McKay and Max Borenstein, HBO couldn’t be more thrilled to examine one of professional sports’ most beloved empires,” said Francesca Orsi, EVP of HBO Programming.

“Across 1980s Los Angeles, we’ll experience the exhilarating ride of a team that dominated a decade of basketball and watch them not only achieve iconic status but transform the sport in every way,” she added.

Hyperobject was launched by McKay and includes in its team producers Kevin Messick, Todd Schulman and Betsy Koch. The Lakers project marks the first limited series under the company’s recently announced five-year first-look TV deal with HBO, which will see it develop content for both HBO and sibling streamer HBO Max.

McKay and Messick will continue to serve as executive producers on HBO’s show Succession, which will head into production next year for its third season.