The Los Angeles Lakers docuseries on Hulu “Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers” premiered Monday with two initial episodes. Episode 3 is expected to premiere on Monday.
The first two episodes chronicled Jerry Buss’ purchase of the franchise, the drafting of Magic Johnson, the championship victory over the Boston Celtics in 1985 and many more. It included behind-the-scenes footage from practices as well as interviews with all of Jerry Buss’ children.
“Legacy” comes at a time when many former Laker players clashed with HBO’s “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.”
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a frequent critic of the show, however, he recently said “Legacy” is an opportunity to tell the real story. Current Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said she also wants the docuseries to highlight the Lakers’ true story.
Much of the documentary will focus on the Buss family’s bumpy relationships while running the franchise. An exclusive preview of episode 3 from Hulu highlights an example of just that:
The clip focuses on Johnny Buss quitting as President of his father’s indoor soccer club, the Los Angeles Lazers in 1985. Jim Buss took over the team at Jerry Buss’ request, creating a tumultuous situation for Jerry’s oldest son.
Johnny said he had been “groomed for something” as the eldest child, but quit as President because he didn’t see where he would fit in his father’s plan. Jerry Buss’ plan, which was chronicled in the first episode, was for his children to one day run the entire organization — it was also among the main reasons for his purchase of the team.
Johnny believes his decision to quit hurt his brother Jim. He also said the reasoning for his decision was he needed to “figure out what was going on,” as the organization’s annual losses reached a million dollars.
Jerry Buss often put high expectations on Johnny Buss because he was the oldest child, which Jeanie Buss acknowledges in the clip saying her father told her: “When you’re the oldest son, you’re expected to do everything. Everything’s supposed to come to you.”
The two didn’t seem to see eye to eye, prompting Johnny Buss to quit. Jim Buss naturally accepted the job to be president because when “my dad asked me to do something, I do it. So it wasn’t very hard to take over there.”
The exclusive clip is surely not the last iteration of the problem’s surrounding the Buss family.
Episode 3 is expected to premiere on Monday exclusively on Hulu.
Director Antonie Fuque compares Lakers organization to “The Godfather” and “Succession”
The Lakers organization will be uncovered through the Hulu series “Legacy: The True Story about the L.A. Lakers.” With cooperation from many prominent names in the Lakers brass, it’s the most extensive documentary yet.
Director Antonie Fuqua was in charge of piecing the extensive story together. Days after the premiere, Fuqua compared the Lakers organization to “The Godfather” and “Succession,” with family and business often mixing together.
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