Los Angeles Times

How these producers are building a 'Legacy' with Lakers documentary and indie films

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is mobbed by teammates after scoring 60 points in his final NBA game at the Staples Center on April 13, 2016, in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES — Lacing together an in-depth look at the Los Angeles Lakers' history took seven years, team owners' participation, thousands of hours of video, NBA approvals — and producers willing to bankroll such an ambitious effort.

"Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers" is the highest-profile project undertaken by film production and financing firm Los Angeles Media Fund and its principals, Jeffrey Soros and Simon Horsman.

The project initially was envisioned as a 90-minute documentary about the team's late owner Jerry Buss and Magic Johnson during the 1980s "Showtime" era. Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss joined the film effort. But the turning point came three years later, in 2018, when Soros and Horsman signed on as producers and financiers, then turned to the accomplished Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day," "What's My Name: Mohammad Ali") to direct the project.

Instead of focusing solely on "Showtime" Lakers, Fuqua

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