Mindy Kaling and Jeanie Buss team for Netflix's Los Angeles Lakers-inspired workplace comedy

The Hollywood Reporter

Kaling and Lakers owner and team president Buss will serve as executive producers on the untitled workplace comedy inspired by the front office of the 17-time NBA champions -- the third TV project revolving around the Lakers currently in the works. Modern Family and Family Guy vet Elaine Ko will pen the script and serve as showrunner on the 10-episode comedy. Lakers executive director Linda Rambis, husband of four-time Lakers champ Kurt Rambis, and their son Jordan Rambis will also serve as executive producers. News of a Lakers-inspired comedy comes as HBO is developing its untitled limited series on the 1980s Showtime Lakers. "With the involvement of Buss and the Rambis family, the Netflix comedy has one thing the HBO series doesn’t: the participation of the Lakers," says The Hollywood Reporter's Lesley Goldberg, adding: "Netflix and HBO have long been in a battle for bragging rights in the TV industry as the free-spending streamer has challenged the premium cable network’s Emmy haul for the past few years." Meanwhile, Hulu announced last month a docuseries from Buss and Antoine Fuqua on the Lakers' past four decades since her father, the late Jerry Buss, acquired the team. Buss tweeted of the Netflix show: "Mindy Kaling and Elaine Ko are brilliant accomplished creators and I’m thrilled to be part of this dream team. I’ve spoken many times about humor playing an important role in my mental health and wellbeing so this is a natural. Thank you @netflix for giving us this platform."