In HBO’s 1980s L.A. Lakers series, Bo Burnham will portray Larry Bird.

In HBO’s 1980s L.A. Lakers series, Bo Burnham will portray Larry Bird.

 

According to Deadline, Bo Burnham (Eighth Grade) has been cast as Boston Celtics star Larry Bird in Adam McKay’s Los Angeles Lakers HBO drama series, which is based on Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s. HBO declined to respond.

The fast-break series, written by Max Borenstein, follows the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Lakers, one of sports’ most respected and dominant dynasties—a squad that defined its age both on and off the court.

The rivalry between the Lakers and the Celtics helped define the NBA in the 1980s, with their games generating massive TV audiences, and Bird played a significant role in it.

Michael Chiklis as Red Auerbach, Sally Field as Jessie Buss, Adrien Brody as Pat Riley, Jason Clarke as Jerry Buss, 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, Jason Segel as Paul Whitehead, and Joey Brooks as Lon Rosen are among the cast members that Burnham joins.

Producing is McKay’s Hyperobject Industries. Along with Kevin Messick from Hyperobject Industries and McKay, who is directing the pilot, Borenstein serves as executive producer. Jim Hecht co-wrote the story and serves as an executive producer alongside Rodney Barnes, Scott Stephens, and Jason Shuman.

Former stand-up comedian Burnham took home the 2019 DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a First-Time Feature Film for the screenplay he penned for Eighth Grade. His most recent role was in the five-oscar-nominated film Promising Young Woman.