HBO continues to assemble their team of talent to play the talented troupe that was the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers basketball squad. Michael Chiklis (The Shield, Fantastic Four) will portray Red Auerbach, legendary coach of the Boston Celtics whose legacy was threatened by the Lakers. He will go toe to toe with the recently cast Adrien Brody who portrays Lakers coach pat Riley.
Also in the all-star cast are Sally Field as Jessie Buss as well as John C. Reilly as Jerry Buss, Jason Clarke as Jerry West, Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson, Solomon Hughes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Gaby Hoffmann as Claire Rothman, Hadley Robinson as Jeanie Buss, DeVaughn Nixon as Norm Nixon, Molly Gordon as Linda Zafrani, Rob Morgan as Earvin Johnson Sr., Spencer Garrett as Chick Hearn, Kirk Bovill as Donald Sterling, Delante Desouza as Michael Cooper, Stephen Adly Guirgis as Frank Mariani, Tamera Tomakili as Earletha ‘Cookie’ Kelly, and Joey Brooks as Lon Rosen.
As the coach of the Celtics, Auerbach netted 9 NBA championships. As general manager, he scored 7 more. In the series, when the Lakers’ rise threatens his Boston dynasty, Auerbach proves himself to be the basketball genius and cut-throat competitor of every Laker fan’s nightmares.
Chiklis recently starred as Border Patrol agent Ben Clemens for the CBS All Access drama series Coyote. In the six-episode thriller, Clemens finds himself helping people he has always tried to keep out of the United States. He's also set to star in Don't Look Up from director-writer Adam McKay. Now in post-production, the film also stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Chris Evans, Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, Timothée Chalamet, Tyler Perry, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Gina Gershon, Ron Perlman, Melanie Lynskey, Mark Rylance, Matthew Perry, and Ariana Grande.