Lakers legends Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar rip portrayals on 'Winning Time'
Los Angeles Lakers legends Jerry West and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are none to pleased about their portrayals on the hit HBO series "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty."
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 portrayal of NBA icon and LA Laker legend Jerry West in 'Winning Time' is fiction pretending to be fact -- a deliberately false characterization that has caused great distress to Jerry and his family," West's attorney Skip Miller said in a statement.
"Winning Time" chronicles the early 1980s Showtime Lakers following the purchase of the franchise by Jerry Buss and the drafting of Magic Johnson.
"Contrary to the baseless portrayal in the HBO series, Jerry had nothing but love for and harmony with the Lakers organization, and in particular owner Dr. Jerry Buss, during an era in which he assembled one of the greatest teams in NBA history."
West's letter claims that the series "falsely and cruelly portrays Mr. West as an out-of-control, intoxicated rage-aholic."
"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."
The letter also contains 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," Miller wrote.
Abdul-Jabbar echoed West's sentiments in a blog post on Substack Tuesday critical of the show's veracity.
"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."
There was no immediate response to an email sent to the publicists for "Winning Time" Tuesday night.