Presented by Binge

To celebrate the release of the gripping new sports drama Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty on Binge, we take a look back at the earliest days of basketball videogames.

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, the new series from the acclaimed director of The Big Short and Don’t Look Up, takes a fascinating and gripping look at the NBA team and era that changed the game forever. From the Lakers superstar line-up that included Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to its rivalry with other teams like the Boston Celtics, through to its enigmatic coaches and management; the Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s set the tone and spectacle for what we now know as professional basketball.

Commonly referred to as the “Showtime Era”, it’s where personalities and teams and spectacle -- in excess -- sat alongside fundamentals and running a good defence. You can’t have a good breakaway without having a good breakdance, if you catch our meaning. And with Winning Time’s brilliant dramatic retelling of NBA history we’re taking a look at some of the most iconic basketball videogames from the same era; notable releases that shaped digital basketball, and how the same Lakers Dynasty played an important role in getting us to where we are today with NBA 2K22.

Head Here for Winning Time: The Rise of Basketball Videogames