HBO defends "Winning Time" after scathing criticism from Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
HBO responded Tuesday to criticism from Los Angeles Lakers legends Jerry West and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar regarding the veracity of their depictions on the hit series "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty."
Last week, both West and Abdul-Jabbar ripped their portrayals on the show, which chronicles the early 1980s Showtime Lakers following the purchase of the franchise by Jerry Buss and the drafting of Magic Johnson.
Attorneys for West, the former Lakers player and general manager, sent a letter to HBO, Warner Bros., Discovery and executive producer Adam McKay setting a May 3 deadline for a retraction of his portrayal on "Winning Time."
The letter claims that the series "falsely and cruelly portrays Mr. West as an out-of-control, intoxicated rage-aholic."
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter Tuesday, HBO wrote:
"HBO has a long history of producing compelling content drawn from actual facts and events that are fictionalized in part for dramatic purposes. Winning Time is not a documentary and has not been presented as such. However, the series and its depictions are based on extensive factual research and reliable sourcing, and HBO stands resolutely behind our talented creators and cast who have brought a dramatization of this epic chapter in basketball history to the screen."
West's letter contained testimonials from former Lakers Michael Cooper and Jamaal Wilkes, former Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, now president of the Charlotte Hornets, and others who found the characterization of West to be "egregious and cruel," West's attorney wrote.
"The Jerry West in `Winning Time' bears no resemblance to the real man," the letter said. "The real Jerry West prided himself on treating people with dignity and respect. 'Winning Time' is a baseless and malicious assault on Jerry West's character. You reduced the legacy of an 83-year old legend and role model to that of a vulgar and unprofessional bully -- the polar opposite of the real man."
Abdul-Jabbar echoed West's sentiments in a blog post on Substack critical of the show's accuracy.
"It's a shame the way they treat Jerry West, who has openly discussed his struggle with mental health, especially depression," Abdul-Jabbar wrote. "Instead of exploring his issues with compassion as a way to better understand the man, they turn him into a Wile E. Coyote cartoon to be laughed at. He never broke golf clubs, he didn't throw his trophy through the window. Sure, those actions make dramatic moments, but they reek of facile exploitation of the man rather than exploration of character."
Abdul-Jabbar also wrote of the show: "The characters are crude stick-figure representations that resemble real people the way Lego Hans Solo resembles Harrison Ford. Each character is reduced to a single bold trait as if the writers were afraid anything more complex would tax the viewers' comprehension. Jerry Buss is Egomaniac Entrepreneur, Jerry West is Crazed Coach, Magic Johnson is Sexual Simpleton, I'm Pompous Prick. They are caricatures, not characters. Amusement park portraits that emphasize one physical feature to amplify your appearance-but never touching the essence."