Jason Segel To Play Paul Westhead In HBO’s 1980s L.A. Lakers Series

Jason Segel has been tapped to play Paul Westhead in Adam McKay’s Los Angeles Lakers HBO drama series, based on Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s. McKay’s Hyperobject Industries is producing.

Written by Max Borenstein, the fast-break series chronicles the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Lakers, one of sports’ most revered and dominant dynasties — a team that defined its era both on and off the court.

Segel’s Paul Westhead, a Shakespeare professor, leaves grading papers behind to be assistant coach of the Lakers. In Los Angeles, Westhead steps into a drama straight off the Bard’s page (of which he is fond of quoting).

Segel joins the previously announced cast Michael Chiklis as Red Auerbach, Sally Field as Jessie Buss, Adrien Brody as Pat Riley, 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, Joey Brooks as Lon Rosen and Bo Burnham as Larry Bird.

2020-21 HBO Pilots & Series Orders

Borenstein executive produces the series with McKay, who directs the pilot, and Kevin Messick for Hyperobject Industries. Jim Hecht is co-writer of story and executive produces along with Jason Shuman, Scott Stephens and Rodney Barnes.

Segel created, wrote, directed, produced and starred in the praised AMC anthology series, Dispatches From Elsewhere, co-starring Sally Field, Andre Benjamin, and Eve Lindley. He recently received critical acclaim for his starring role in Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s Our Friend opposite Dakota Johnson and Casey Affleck. He’s also known for his starring role in James Ponsoldt’s The End Of The Tour, for which he received asn Independent Spirit Award nomination. He most recently wrapped production on Josephine Decker’s feature, The Sky Is Everywhere, starring opposite Cherry Jones for Apple TV+. Segel is repped by WME and Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern.

Click here to see the rest of the cast confirmed for this upcoming HBO’s Lakers series.