John C. Reilly to play Jerry Buss in HBO’s Showtime Lakers project
HBO has a pilot in the works on the Showtime Lakers, and they just recast one of the leading roles.
John C. Reilly will be playing the role of former Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss, according to a report from Deadline. Reilly replaces Michael Shannon, who was previously cast in the role but left the project due to creative differences, the report says.
The pilot is based off Jeff Pearlman’s book about the Showtime Lakers, “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.”
Buss, who died in 2013, bought the Lakers in 1979 and wanted the team to have an up-tempo style of play to attract fans. He had superstars on his team and the plan worked. The Lakers won five championships during that time, became a staple of the Los Angeles cultural fabric and an international sports brand.
It’s unclear when the pilot is set to air, but it sounds like programming many sports fans will not want to miss.
