Thread by @latimes

Here's the true story of Magic Johnson and Jerry Buss behind HBO's #WinningTime.

Listen to Episode 1 of “Binge Sesh,” the @latimes’ new companion podcast, to hear how a generational talent and a born salesman came together to create the modern NBA. latimes.com/entertainment-…

Subscribe to “Binge Sesh” for more stories from the locker room, soundstage and The Times archives that explore the “Showtime” Lakers era:

link.chtbl.com/WET6ZfXC

"(Jerry Buss) wasn't your traditional owner. He was the first NBA owner to see this not as a basketball business, but an entertainment business.

"From the very beginning of meeting @MagicJohnson, this guy was an entertainer."

Listen to Episode 1: latimes.com/entertainment-…

In @jeffpearlman's "Showtime," the book on which the @HBO series #WinningTime is based, the author details a split-second decision that could have changed the Lakers' destiny.

“OK, gentlemen, here we go,” said NBA Commissioner Larry O'Brien. latimes.com/sports/lakers/…

The idea of @jeffpearlman's Lakers book "Showtime" becoming a TV show became reality. Some members of the Lakers dynasty weren't thrilled.

Meet the author whose book inspired HBO's #WinningTime latimes.com/sports/lakers/…

Stepping into @MagicJohnson's and @kaj33's high tops was challenging for acting newcomers Quincy Isaiah and Solomon Hughes, especially for moments that illustrated Johnson’s and Abdul-Jabbar’s frailties. latimes.com/entertainment-…