Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty

-(phone ringing) -Receptionist: Doctor's office.

Yes, let me transfer you... One moment, please.

Brooke Shields (on TV): ...American life at this point where,

if they're intelligent, if they're fairly strong

and rather sure of themselves, they represent a threat...

-He still in there? -Nurse: Room 12.

There's a photographer in front.

They want to let him out the back.

Just to make sure nobody sees him.

-Okay. -Okay. Thanks.

-(inaudible) -(footsteps approaching)

Man: Earvin?

Um... when you're ready?

Right.

Right on.

("My Favorite Mutiny" by The Coup playing

-(static) -(siren wailing)

God damn. Basketball.

I mean, look at it.

It's like great sex.

It's always moving.

It's rhythmic. It's...

up close and personal.

There's no pads or helmets for protection.

It's just you

and these other guys out there,

trying to get the ball into the hoop.

It's a beautiful thing,

and every single one of those guys plays that game

with their own unique pizazz and style.

It's sexy. Come on.

I mean, if there's two things in this world

that make me believe in God,

it's sex and basketball.

You know?

Hon?

-Honey? -(groans) I'm sleeping.

I know. I was just saying about sex and basketball and...

Yeah, I have a test in the morning.

-You do? -Mm-hmm.

Her loss.

That makes you the first to know.

I'm about to buy a team.

Dynamite.

The National Basketball Association.

The NBA.

You've heard of it, right?

Of course, you have. Who hasn't?

I'll tell you who. Them.

Young people, hip people,

fashionable people.

Pardon the expression,

but the kind of people you might wanna have

a little fun with.

Oh hey, Dr. Buss. No breakfast this morning?

Nah, not today.

-I'm going to buy the Lakers. -Ah, no kiddin'?

Tell 'em a win the championship one of these days.

-I'll do what I can, Fred. -Fred: You got it, brother.

Welcome to sunny Los Angeles.

Great for tans...

shit for fans.

The fact that Fred there even knew

someone who won a championship makes him special.

So why is the NBA so unpopular!?

Yeah, the press says we have an image problem.

But to most people,

the biggest problem is the image is too dark.

-Let's go get 'em. -Come on, let's do this.

But I didn't make a fortune bettin' on the sure thing.

I made it buyin' low

and sellin' high.

So, Buss came up to 67.5 million.

But he's hoping you'll agree to half of it in property

instead of cash.

-Is that the Chrysler building? -Yeah.

The guy picks buildings like a toddler at a toy store.

-Whatever's shiniest. -Just get it done,

so I can give the cunt her fucking money.

Oh, I'm not the cunt he's talking about.

That's his soon-to-be ex-wife.

-Attendance numbers? -Down a little.

-Oh shit. -We have to disclose that.

No, I don't have to disclose these if I've never seen them.

Mrs. Rothman.

: Undo a couple of buttons, maybe he won't notice.

Come on, get in there.

Come on! Jerry, just take the night.

Alright? We'll come back tomorrow, you know?

J-just think this through.

We are trading in an empire of-of real estate for what?

-I know. -Twelve tall guys in tennis shoes?

Frank Mariani, my business partner

and personal wet blanket.

He thinks this whole thing is a bad idea.

-Wait, wait, wait-- bad? -(ding)

-(laughing) -Try catastrophic.

The entire league is on the verge of bankruptcy.

There may not be an NBA in five years.

-5:00 already? -He's wearing Levi's.

-Who? -Buss. He's worth, like, 80 million,

and he's wearing jeans with frayed hems.

-What are you doing? -I'm trying to keep my job.

Put them away. I'll go.

-Are you sure? -Yes.

What?

Hello, gentlemen.

Oh jeez, I'll take a G&T, hon.

Get it yourself, Frank.

-Claire Rothman? -Pleasure.

Frank, you are lookin' at the gal who was the first one

to put a rock-and-roll act in a sports arena.

Wow. (laughs) Yeah.

I'm a fan. Pleasure.

Mrs. Rothman's deal is with me.

Maybe I can throw her in.

Jack!

Jack Cooke: Mr. Buss.

It's actually Dr. Buss, but who's measuring?

So, we got a deal?

One concern. Liquidity.

You're asking to put up half the total price in land swaps,

but you'll still owe the rest in cash.

We'll have it.

We don't have it.

Shut up, Frank.

-We have a deal. -Jerry Buss: Fantastic.

We don't have it, by the way, but we'll get it. We'll get it.

So for those of you keepin' score at home,

I just promised to pay $67.5 million

for the whole shebang.

So you take half of that in real estate,

you subtract the $18 million

I already gave them as a down payment...

and you're left with $15.75 million

due in cash, in 30 days.

Now, I'm a guy with some bucks, but it's in assets and holdings.

So, right now, I've got about...

120 grand in the bank.

So, yeah.

I gotta move some things around.

I hate him.

Uh, no, I hate him!

Jeanie Buss: You signed the deal?

Jerry Buss: I still gotta shuffle some cash around,

but, yeah. We're pretty much there.

Dad, I want to work for you.

Jerry Buss: Jeanie, come on.

What?

I'm having a hard time imagining Jerry West

and Bill Sharman taking orders from Miss Palisades.

-Which I'm very proud of. -Just tell them to take it from Miss Buss.

And I'm not asking to...

give orders.

I'm asking to work.

I'm gonna tell your mother, "She's leaving school

-to work for me." -Just give me a chance!

Alright, let's have an interview. So...

summer draft.