‘Winning Time’: Adrien Brody Talks Playing Pat Riley on HBO Series

SPOILER ALERT: This text comprises spoilers for “The Finest Is But to Come,” the March 20 episode of “Profitable Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” which is now streaming on HBO Max.

On the third episode of HBO’s “Profitable Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” audiences are launched to an NBA determine that even a fair-weather basketball fan must be aware of. Pat Riley has been a towering power in basketball for greater than half of the game’s skilled historical past, incomes 10 NBA championships between his time enjoying, teaching and serving as an govt. Riley has been the workforce president of the Miami Warmth since 1995, however earlier than that, he helmed extremely profitable teaching runs with the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers, two different large NBA establishments.

But when Riley (Adrien Brody) first enters “Profitable Time,” the destined chief is a far cry from the Armani fits and slicked-back Gordon Gekko hair which have come to outline his picture. As an alternative, the 1979 Riley shuffles as much as the Discussion board for a job interview — his ’70s mop billowing within the wind — and is firmly turned away by a safety guard who doesn’t acknowledge him. Riley returns dwelling to a spouse (Gillian Jacobs), involved in regards to the retired ball-player’s stagnation, and sneaks right into a backyard shed to sulk alone. This can be a man entrapped in a textbook third-life disaster.

“I’ve all the time seen [that first scene] as Riley having an appointment, however that he simply wasn’t on a listing. It’s a humbling second,” Brody says in an interview with Selection. “It’s a problem to be up towards a level of rejection [while trying to] get his foot within the door — not solely metaphorically, in that second… It’s a deep inside battle of figuring out all that he has to supply for the sport, and in some way not having the ability to join with that. The truth that we all know what a tremendous journey the person has had in his life makes that second extra poignant, extra relatable.”

Issues are wanting up for Riley by the tip of the episode. He lands a gig as an announcer for the Lakers, and reconnects together with his outdated colleague Jerry West (Jason Clarke), who has one foot out the door of the group. Nonetheless, it’s tough to think about that Riley has any thought what alternatives are in retailer for him within the coming weeks.

Right here, Brody talks to Selection about his personal relationship with the NBA, what he realized about Riley whereas making ready for the position and the way his efficiency will because the season continues.

Do you comply with the NBA? Are you a fan of any specific groups?

Yeah, I like the game very a lot. I’m a New Yorker, so I really like the Knicks. However I additionally spend an excessive amount of time in Los Angeles, so I assume I’m a fan of the Lakers as effectively.

My condolences for the season.

They’re all preventing. They’re all preventing exhausting.

Whenever you visitor starred on “Succession” final fall, you informed Selection that you just joined that collection since you have been already in touch with HBO concerning “Profitable Time.” What drew you to enjoying Pat Riley right here?

I ended up talking an important cope with Max Borenstein, our showrunner. The thrilling factor was to be taught all in regards to the many challenges that Pat Riley was going through at this level in his life that I wasn’t aware of. Initially, I used to be simply excited in regards to the prospect of leaping into the sneakers of somebody that I’ve all the time held in excessive regard, however then this opened up a complete new degree of understanding of his journey. That’s what the crux of it was.

Riley has a towering legacy throughout three NBA organizations. How do you separate the Riley that’s inside the favored creativeness out of your strategy to portraying him?

The writing chronicles a really totally different time in all of those figures’ lives, [the] preliminary phases of all their careers. It’s a extremely fascinating factor to see somebody who’s achieved a lot at that juncture. He had already had a really profitable profession as a ball-player and he already had a hoop in hand. It was about navigating a person’s life in transition and being affected person to search out the important thing into the subsequent part of that journey. That’s actually all I wished to give attention to on this preliminary depiction of life.

Riley is struggling all through this complete episode; it looks like he spends most of it on the verge of tears.

Once I spoke with Max about this, I realized a lot extra about this struggling part of [Riley’s] life — this second of transition between placing a profitable ball-playing profession to mattress after which coming to phrases with being retired. That is what athletes face. That was new to me to think about that as a result of I’ve all the time held Pat Riley in such excessive regard. He carries himself in such a approach that the boldness he exudes is highly effective and uplifting. It’s a extremely fantastic factor to acknowledge that journey.

Are we going to see Riley’s confidence blossom because the collection continues?

I hope. God keen, [the series] could have some legs. There’s numerous room for Pat to actually come into his personal. We simply need to comply with the chronology of the occasions that passed off. However I’m very enthusiastic about that evolution.

Perhaps the collection follows you all the best way to the Miami Warmth.

Properly, I don’t assume we’ll go that far.

This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.

“Profitable Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” airs Sunday at 9 p.m. on HBO.