Los Angeles basketball is seeing a sudden boom on the small screen, with a number of series on the Lakers in production or recently premiering, headlined by HBO’s controversial yet highly entertaining Winning Time.
On Monday, word broke that L.A.’s other team is getting a limited series of its own, although one that figures to be far more serious, as FX has greenlit The Sterling Affairs for a 6-episode series that will tell the story of Donald Sterling’s ouster from the league for racism and the efforts of the team and coach Doc Rivers to navigate that scandal during the playoffs — based on ESPN’s deeply reported podcast series of the same name from Ramona Shelburne.
So far, two names are attached to star in the series, with Laurence Fishburne as Doc Rivers, while Jacki Weaver playing Shelley Sterling, per Deadline.
The Sterling Affairs is written by Gina Welch (Feud: Bette and Joan) based on the ESPN 30 for 30 podcast of the same name reported and hosted by Ramona Shelburne. The series tells the behind the scenes story of Doc Rivers (Fishburne) and the Los Angeles Clippers’ quest to bring a championship to one of the historically worst franchises in all of sports during the impending downfall of the team’s owner, Donald Sterling, whose notoriously racist behavior is brought to light amid the power struggle between his wife of 60+ years, Shelly Sterling (Weaver), and his mistress, V. Stiviano.
How the rest of the cast is filled out will be interesting, particularly who plays Sterling and V. Stiviano, but Fishburne as Rivers brings some star power to the series.