Jerry West and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Blast HBO’s Lakers Series ‘Winning Time’
The HBO sports drama Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty has come under fire from the Lakers’ former general manager Jerry West and star center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
West, a former player and head coach, was named general manager of the LA Lakers before the 1982–83 NBA season. Under his guidance, the team won five championship rings in the 1980s — the era covered in the HBO series. Abdul-Jabbar was part of those winning teams, and his contributions are regarded as a vital component in the Showtime era of Lakers basketball.
According to Deadline, West’s attorneys sent a letter to HBO, Warner Bros., Discovery, and executive producer Adam McKay, complaining about the depiction of West in the show. The latter states 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 goes on to say “Jerry prided himself on treating people with dignity and respect” and that the series “is a baseless and malicious assault on [his] character.” It continues, “Winning Time 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.”
Jason Clarke (Brotherhood) portrays West on the show, providing a fiery performance that, in one scene, sees him angrily breaking a golf club. Abdul-Jabbar wrote in a blog post, “[Jerry] 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.”
“It’s a shame the way they treat Jerry West, who has openly discussed his struggle with mental health, especially depression,” Abdul-Jabbar added. “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.”
As for his own depiction, Abdul-Jabbar wasn’t as bothered apart from one scene where his character (played by Solomon Hughes) tells a child actor to “F*** off!” after asking for an autograph. Not only did this not happen according to the NBA All-Star, but it could have a lasting effect on his charity, the Skyhook Foundation, which provides week-long retreats for inner-city school children.
“When people see this show and come away with an impression that I’m verbally abusive to children, they are less likely to support my foundation,” he wrote. “That means fewer kids will be able to partake in the program. So Adam McKay is giving those kids a great big ‘f*** off!’ that lasts a lot longer than the easy laugh he got out of a dishonest joke.”
According to ESPN, West is demanding a “retraction, apology and damages from HBO.”
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Sundays, 8/7c, HBO
