By Devon POV Mason | Staff Reporter
On Monday, streaming giant Hulu announced that a nine-part original documentary series chronicling the history of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise will join its video streaming service’s lineup next year.
The yet-to-be-titled project comes to Hulu from Lakers CEO and controlling owner Jeannie Buss and director Antoine Fuqua, in association with Fuqua Films, Haven Entertainment and the Los Angeles Media Fund.
#LakersDoc coming to Hulu ’22. @Lakers pic.twitter.com/UgvLpT0r11
— Hulu (@hulu) May 10, 2021
The series will detail the past four decades of the franchise, and contain new interviews from more than 35 people from within the organization. Those will include the Buss family, former coaches Pat Riley and Phil Jackson, and NBA Hall of Famers Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, plus other numerous current and former players.
Interviews with a range of high-profile fans and a treasure trove of archival footage featuring never-before-seen interviews with the Lakers late owner Jerry Buss is also on deck.
https://youtu.be/mVv_Ikt-4i8
The saga begins from his acquisition of the franchise in 1979. the docuseries captures Jerry Buss’ journey to build, sustain and pass on a family-run sports empire.
The project will also offer a look inside the legendary “Showtime” era that saw the team win five NBA titles while turning the Inglewood Forum into Hollywood’s hottest and most treasured ticket throughout the 1980s.
The series will show the high-stakes drama off the court and incredible successes of the Kobe Bryant and O’Neal- led championship teams.
As well as the cultural impact of the Lakers franchise and rebirth of the team, culminating with the 2020 NBA championship led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Reflecting, Jeannie Buss says her dad sat alone at center court of the Forum and thought of all the possibilities when he first bought the franchise.
“But even in his wildest dreams,” Jeannie said, “my father could not have imagined what the decades would bring for our organization, our league and our city of Los Angeles. I am ecstatic that the true story of the Lakers will finally be shared with the world, and that we are in such capable hands with Hulu and Antoine, a director whose storytelling I’ve admired for years.”
Fuqua’s directing credits include “Training Day”, The Equalizer and “The Magnificent Seven.”
