Running Point, a new Netflix comedy starring Kate Hudson, takes its inspiration from the real-life experiences of Jeanie Buss, owner of the Los Angeles Lakers. While not a strict biography, the show explores the challenges of a woman leading a struggling NBA franchise.
Here’s the Lowdown: Hudson’s character, Isla Gordon, inherits a basketball team and faces obstacles similar to those Buss encountered: resistance from a male-dominated industry and complicated family dynamics. Buss, an executive producer on the show, confirms the inspiration but stresses that the characters and situations are fictionalized.
What This Means Now: Running Point gives a comedic, yet insightful, look into the world of professional sports ownership from a female perspective. It builds on the interest generated by HBO’s Winning Time, which, while it was critically approved, did dramatize the Lakers’ history but without Buss’s direct input.
The Bigger Picture: The series reflects Buss’s real-life power struggle with her brothers for control of the Lakers after her father’s death in 2013. It also addresses the sexism she faced in the NBA, from dismissive male colleagues to public judgment. The casting of Kate Hudson is a personal connection; Buss gave a young Hudson a tour of the Lakers’ arena in the 1990s. The show isn’t just about basketball; it is very much about overcoming adversity and fighting for respect in a challenging environment.
