Winning Time Episode 8 ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’ Recap and Ending Explained

Winning Time Episode 8 Recap and Ending, Explained

Winning Time Episode 8 Recap – Winning Time, a show about the 1980s NBA team that defined the league, has finally entered that decade. The first-place Lakers’ locker room is buzzing ahead of their final game before the All-Star break. Interim coach Paul Westhead is playing power forward Spencer Haywood again, which is a significant component of their success. Haywood, though, is playing through a major ailment that assistant coach Pat Riley can easily notice, which Westhead is unaware of. Riley, the team’s de facto coach, displays a battle scar from his playing days and requests that the team’s enforcer takes a break so that he may be fresh for their playoff run. Haywood is fit enough to join the rest of the team (and Pat) in giving Westhead a Barbasol shower, which is similar to a Gatorade bath but is used to jokingly stop your head coach from quoting Shakespeare. When the actual head coach, Jack McKinney, arrives unannounced after spending the previous two months in the hospital, playtime is over.

With its dramatic depiction of the real-life events, ‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty‘ episode 8 immerses viewers in the 1979-80 season of the LA Lakers. ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,’ the episode, focuses on the return of Jack McKinney, while Paul Westhead and Pat Riley grapple with their uncertain futures with the squad.

Meanwhile, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar compete in the NBA All-Star Game, which gives young Magic an unpleasant awakening. The event appears to resolve the coaching dilemma, but it causes Magic to have a conflict that fuels his ambition to succeed at any cost. Here’s everything you need to know about ‘Winning Time’ episode 8 if you’re interested in learning more about the show’s events and conclusion!

Also Read: Winning Time Episode 7 Recap and Ending Explained

Winning Time Episode 8 Recap and Ending

Winning Time Episode 8 ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’ Recap

The ninth episode begins with Jerry Buss recalling the story of Roger Bannister’s seemingly impossible feat of running a mile in under four minutes against all odds. Meanwhile, the Lakers are praising Westhead and Riley for their outstanding play. Magic Johnson has received a lot of media attention after becoming the first rookie in years to start at the NBA All-Stars game. Riley tells Spencer Haywood to get his knee checked in the locker room. The team’s celebration is cut short when Jack McKinney, who has recovered from his injuries, arrives unexpectedly.

McKinney confirms that he will join the team on the road starting next week. He also states that, if cleared by physicians, he will return to his full-time post as Head Coach. McKinney attacks Westhead and Riley’s management of the club, particularly Spencer Haywood’s benching.

Westhead is concerned about Riley and McKinney’s prospects on the club because they disagree on the scenario. Riley will have no place on the squad, according to McKinney, who does not trust the former Lakers player.

Jeanie is having a hard time dealing with the news that her grandma Jessie’s cancer therapy has failed and she will die shortly. Meanwhile, Magic and Cookie meet Magic’s childhood hero Julius “Dr. J” Erving, at the NBA All-Stars banquet. Dr. J’s gentle and loving manner enchants Magic. Cookie breaks up with Magic after learning that he has been sleeping with Rhonda after the game.

Dr. J. consoles a despondent Magic. Meanwhile, Buss discovers the truth about his mother’s impending death, and Westhead informs Riley that McKinney is about to fire him. Riley ultimately decides to salvage his career by taking matters into his own hands.

Must Read: What is Magic Johnson’s Net Worth And Where Is He Now?

Winning Time Episode 8 Recap

Is Paul Westhead Still the Head Coach in Winning Time Episode 8?

Westhead is forced to choose between his friendship with McKinney and maintaining his commitment to Riley in this episode, which puts him in a moral bind. Riley agrees to quit as a broadcaster and become an assistant coach only after Westhead assures him that his job will be secure even under McKinney. As a result, when McKinney returns and asks Westhead to fire Riley, he starts to worry himself insane about the matter.

Riley, on the other hand, believes that his and Westhead’s hard work has gotten the squad close to the playoffs. He believes the Lakers have a legitimate opportunity to win the NBA Championship. As a result, he decides to try to persuade Westhead that he needs to ask McKinney to let them coach for the rest of the season, with the possibility of McKinney returning at the start of the next.

While Westhead confesses he would welcome the chance, he does not want to betray McKinney. Westhead contracts a kidney ailment as a result of the stress, forcing Riley to coach the game against Dr. J’s Philadelphia 76ers. Dr. J exerts his influence on Magic to blindside the young rookie, and the Lakers lose the game badly.

Riley’s first game as head coach (really interim head coach) is a nightmare, as Julius Erving and the Sixers completely smash a visibly distracted Magic Johnson, who suffers the worst game of his rookie season. When the game, Erving visits the visitor’s locker room to greet everyone except Magic, who imitates Bird’s stern demeanour after Erving re-invites Magic and Cookie to dinner.

Once Erving has left, Jerry West appears and gives Magic a slew of poor advise, ranging from misinterpreting Erving’s thoughtful approach as a deception to telling him that he would not give up his one ring for happiness. He tells Magic, “Happiness is a diversion.” “And no one will be able to comprehend that.” Nobody,” he says, “not your family, not your fucking teammates, not your woman.”

Why don’t championship rings weigh down his hands if happiness is a distraction? The episode concludes with Jerry West instilling in Magic a hunger for victory, and he vows to lead the club to the NBA Championship.

Recommended: Who Is Elgin Baylor and Was He Replacement for Paul Westhead?