Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers
By Martin Brown,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Brand-focused Buss family series has swearing, sex talk.
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Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers
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What's the Story?
LEGACY: THE TRUE STORY OF LA LAKERS begins in 1979, as Dr. Jerry Buss buys the team and lucks into the number one pick in that year's NBA draft. That pick turns out to be Magic Johnson, who immediately becomes one of the most popular players in the league. As Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the rest of the team lead the Lakers on a run of championships, Dr. Buss builds the organization into one of the most exciting and recognizable brands in all of sports.
Is It Any Good?
Beginning with the subtitle, it's obvious that this "true story" was hastily put out as a counter to HBO's popular Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. Sure enough, Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers immediately places its focus on the Buss family, owners of the team for two generations who in 2022 are threatening to sue HBO for Winning Time's depiction of them. Generally, PR-driven documentaries like this don't reveall the insider details they promise. That's exactly the case with Legacy, which presents a sanitized version of Buss family drama alongside a by-the-numbers recap of the last four decades of Laker basketball.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the Lakers. What is your level of interest in Lakers basketball? How much did you know about the history of the team going in? What made you want to watch Legacy?
Describe the Lakers brand. How does Jerry Buss's personality play into the brand? How does the documentary want you to feel about the Lakers?
Throughout the series, how do players and management work with each other? How does management impact the team? How do players affect some of the management decisions?
TV Details
- Premiere date: August 15, 2022
- Network: Hulu
- Genre: Educational
- Topics: Sports and Martial Arts
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: December 1, 2022
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