And so, the season finale of Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers. We have seen the rise, fall, rise, and fall again of this storied franchise. With Kareem gone, Magic gone, Shaq gone, and Kobe gone, it is LeBron time for the Lakers. I am excited to see and watch the finale episode unfold.
The Lakers can’t find their groove as they have missed the playoffs multiple times. They are hunting for a superstar after hiring a new Head Coach in Luke Walton and a new GM, Rob Pelinka. Jeanie mentions they had their eyes set on one man, Lebron James. James wanted to meet with Magic and discover where his head was at rebuilding the franchise to become champions again. Magic’s magic worked as Lebron joined the Lakers to help win another championship.
However, when Lebron arrived, the team around him was young but hungry. He consistently elevated those around him, and the team started the season winning games. That was until Lebron hurt his groin and everything went downhill after. The team went from playoff contenders to on the outside looking in. Then, Magic shocks everyone, including Jeanie, as he quits in a post-game conference without talking to anyone about it. It also led to head coach Luke Walton and the Lakers parting ways.
Amid all the chaos throughout the season, Jeanie gets a letter from a long-lost sibling. So many things unfolded from a kid their parents had given up for adoption to Jerry having a kid with an extramarital affair. These stories have been my biggest bone to pick with the series. I get WHY they had to be added, but I would’ve preferred one big Buss episode that didn’t involve the Lakers.
I knew the moment was coming when they would have to cover the passing of Kobe Bryant, but it hit me so hard because I don’t think I quite appreciate not just the player Kobe was, but the person he was. The entire montage of Kobe passing that led to the Lakers winning the championship was shot beautifully.
I can’t give enough credit to the creators of this series for how they were able to get all these people to not only be on this series but to share so many vulnerable details about the ins and outs of certain elements of this franchise. Each week, there was drama, not made-up drama; it was drama that is still fuming some of these people years and years later. You don’t get as good a series without the perspective of each of these personalities.
Overall, from Steven Leckart’s passionate and carefully crafted writing of the series to Antoine Fuqua’s brilliant direction and Jake Pushinsky’s great edit, Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers was one of the best docuseries we’ve seen to date. You get an inside look at how this incredible franchise was built from the ground up. You grow to appreciate Jerry Buss’s hard work, Jeanie Buss’s resilience, and everyone who played any part in the journey. What an incredible journey that I can’t wait to revisit.
Read More: Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers Season 1, Episode 9 Recap
