Hadley Robinson's Folder Holds the Key to the Lakers Success on "Winning Time"

“Winning Time” might be about the Showtime Lakers and the rise of Earvin “Magic” Johnson, but it’s the women behind the scenes that hold the keys to the wildly successful franchise. The show — which premieres on HBO Max on March 6 — features a young Jeanie Buss (played by Hadley Robinson) and a behind-the-scenes look at the Buss family’s takeover of the Los Angeles team in 1979. POPSUGAR chatted with Robinson and Sally Field — who plays Jessie Buss, the accountant and mother of famed owner Dr. Jerry Buss (played by John C. Reilly) — about their bond on and off the screen and how Jessie prepared Jeanie for the windy road ahead.

It’s important to note that the Buss family, the Lakers, the NBA, and the players portrayed were in no way involved in the making of “Winning Time.” The series is an adaptation of Jeff Pearlman’s 2014 book “Showtime.”

Let’s set the scene: the year is 1979, the Los Angeles Lakers have the first pick in the NBA draft and Magic is declaring for the league after two seasons at Michigan State. A smooth-talking, sunglass-rocking Jerry recently purchased the Lakers, and to say he has big dreams would be an understatement. Not only is he revving up to transform the organization, but he’s about to transform the league into what it is today. On “Winning Time,” Jerry is the visionary behind the huge crowds, the celebrity fans sitting courtside, and the glamorization of what was once considered a “meh” sport. Viewers will soon see that Jerry wouldn’t be Jerry without the two leading ladies in his life: his mother and daughter.

In 1933, a 19-year-old Jessie gave birth to Jerry in the middle of the Dust Bowl. She was a single mother with no high school education and together they became quite an impressive business savvy duo. “We didn’t have a lot of information about Jessie, so we had a lot of license to create,” Field says of her character. “We knew she came to Hollywood and brought him with her as a little boy,” Field says, adding that Jessie initially wanted to be in films but it didn’t pan out. “She became an accountant and struggled and survived and took care of her child before all sorts of mishegoss happened.”

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