The Los Angeles Lakers team name is mocked in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty episode 2, but here's how the organization got this unexpected name. Although the Lakers are one of the premier sports franchises in 2022 when the HBO Max show released, the organization was not necessarily a powerhouse when the 1980s began. Winning Time documents the transformation the Lakers undergo over the next decade after drafting Earvin 'Magic' Johnson and Jerry Buss becoming the team's owner.
Winning Time episode 2 dives deeper into this period of NBA history, as the Lakers prepare for Magic Johnson's rookie season. This includes Jerry Buss taking control of the Lakers' finances so others involved in the organization aren't aware of their potentially limited resources. While Jerry Buss asks his employees to get creative with ideas for more revenue and operates as though they have unlimited funding, that is not the case. He ultimately takes the accounting books to his mother, Jessie Buss, who is not too pleased with his latest business venture. One of her biggest questions, though, is why the Los Angeles-based team is named after lakes despite the lack of them nearby.
Jessie Buss' question might resonate with Winning Time viewers, as the Los Angeles Lakers name isn't a great fit. However, the name is tied to the origins of the organization. Before the Lakers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, the team was founded as the Minneapolis Lakers. The Minneapolis Lakers were formed in 1947 and got their name from one of Minnesota's nicknames, "Land of 10,000 Lakes." During the 11 years that the Lakers operated out of Minneapolis, their team name was a perfect fit due to the proximity of these bodies of water. They also formed the original Lakers dynasty, as they won four championships in five seasons from 1950 to 1954.
Once the Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, though, a rebranding was not done to give the organization a more appropriate name. While there are lakes in the city of Los Angeles, it is not something that they are known for. It would've made more sense for the then-Lakers owner Bob Short to come up with a different name that represented the glitz, glam, and star power of Los Angeles. Since that change never happened, it is understandable why Winning Time episode 2 uses Jerry Buss' mom to mock the Lakers' name. It's a funny moment and points out how strange of a fit the name is, even if the Los Angeles Lakers name is iconic.
The Los Angeles Lakers' name problem is something that other professional sports organizations have dealt with in the past. While some franchises eventually fixed the name after another relocation, that is unlikely to ever happen for Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Lakers' name and gold and purple colors are too well-known at this point to change and have too much history tied to them, especially because of Magic Johnson's 1980s dynasty that Winning Time explores.
New episodes of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty release on HBO/HBO Max at 9 pm EST every Sunday.