“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” is on the cusp of releasing a new season of the popular series based on the Jeff Pearlman book of the same name. In a new interview from Screenrant’s Joe Deckelmeier with Michael Chiklis and Sean Patrick Small, actors playing iconic Boston Celtics general manager Red Auerbach and his superstar forward Larry Bird in the Los Angles Lakers docudrama, the two actors had plenty to say about their Celtics characters.
Set in the 1980s when the Celtics and Lakers dominated the NBA Finals, the duo opened up about their characters’ mindsets and motivations in the series, and how they prepared to play such larger-than-life figures.
Let’s take a look at some of the highlights.
Not so crazy about modern free agency? Falk isn’t either. https://t.co/XMeZS0Agoe
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) July 18, 2023
Sean Patrick Small on his preparation for a larger Larry Bird role
“Yeah, this season definitely peels back the layers of who he is as a Celtic, and you kind of see how he grows to be where he is,” said Small.
“That cold-hearted, cold-stare, trash-talking dude. You see it from ’74 Indiana on, and it’s great because I did a lot of research starting in 2014 when I was writing my own mini-series about Bird from his high school year to the ’79 championship game.”
“So, being able to actually play that timeframe now with him during the season, I was prepared for the moment I thought, and then I just went even deeper with it.”
Decades ago, in the Louisiana native’s prime with Boston in the 1960s, Russell decided to endorse a shoe made right here in New England. https://t.co/uM6OcG0Zmd
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) July 18, 2023
On how Bird's life before basketball informed his acting
“Losing his father really inspired (Bird) to become the player he was, because he felt almost like he let his dad down,” explained the Winning Time actor.
“He was a big Indiana Hoosier fan, when he came home, let him know that he dropped out of college, he’s not going back, there was always that thing in the back of his mind, and then the tragedy of his father committing suicide. Really, it pushed him away from the game of basketball, and if it wasn’t for Bill Hodges, he wouldn’t have gotten back into it competitively. He played AAU, all that type of stuff. So, he was able to find father figures along the way with Bill Hodges at Indiana State and then eventually Red Auerbach with the Celtics, because they had that same competitive drive.”
“Red had this — for who Red was, as a person, as a character to the public, he had this empathy that Bird was really able to attach himself to, and Red kind of acted as that father figure for him when he was on the Celtics,” said Smalls.
Watching the iconic behind-the-back fake pass that made champion Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo famous (or infamous, depending on your fandom) is a little bit like watching a street ball le… https://t.co/fXq4DOi9qS
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) July 19, 2023
Chiklis on Auerbach's philosophical approach to managing the Celtics
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“There’s no doubt that he had insight to who Larry was, and how to nurture him and nurture his talent,” said Chiklis.
“We were talking earlier about the fact that Bill Russell speaks about how he was brilliant in that he would see a talent in someone like Bill Russell and bring them in, and instead of trying to make Bill Russell something that he wasn’t as a player, and making them fit into a system, he adjusted The System to highlight the strengths of whoever it was, who came into his team. He was all about making that team the best unit they could be with championship being the ultimate goal always, really, and I loved it.”
“Now, we’re starting to get into those little nuances in character of these men, and who they were personally, privately behind the scenes,” he added.
They also discuss the athleticism and skills of players from different eras. https://t.co/m7BEz8FVBU
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) July 19, 2023
Be sure to check out the interview in full here.
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