Life during wartime | 'Winning Time'

What does it mean to say the NBA had a drug problem in the 1970s and 1980s?

In this episode of "Binge Sesh," hosts Matt Brennan and Kareem Maddox examine recreational drug use in professional basketball in the Showtime era. Zooming in on the depiction of Spencer Haywood in HBO's "Winning Time" and zooming out to the U.S. government's war on drugs, we deconstruct the rhetoric — from politicians, the press, even players — that shaped perceptions of the NBA and explain how systemic racism turned a health crisis into a moral panic.

For the podcast transcript, production stills, real-life photos and links to much more, visit the episode page on latimes.com.