NBA fans from all over the world were eagerly waiting for HBOâs âWinning Timeâ to premiere. The show is focused on the âShowtimeâ Los Angeles Lakers, telling the story of how the franchise rose to stardom.
And, while ratings have been there and some exaggeration was to be expected, it seems like those who were actually there in real-life havenât been much of a fan. In fact, Magic Johnson even said that he wasnât looking forward to watching it at all.
Now, Lakers legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry Westâboth depicted in the TV showâ have spoken up and expressed their criticism, ripping âWinning Timeâ for its âbland characterizationâ and inaccurate story-telling.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Rips HBOâs âWinning Timeâ
âIâll start with the bland characterization. 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 viewersâ comprehension,â Kareem wrote on his Substack.
The legendary big man went on to state that the show features âcaricatures, not charactersâ and âamusement park portraitsâ when describing him, Jerry West, Magic Johnson, and late Lakers owner Jerry Buss:
âJerry Buss is Egomaniac Entrepreneur, Jerry West is Crazed Coach, Magic Johnson is Sexual Simpleton, Iâm Pompous Prick. They are caricatures, not characters,â Kareem added.âAmusement park portraits that emphasize one physical feature to amplify your appearanceâbut never touching the essence. â
âThe result of using caricatures instead of fully developed characters is that the plot becomes frenetic melodrama, sensationalized invented moments to excite the senses but reveal nothing deeper,â he concluded. âItâs as if he strung together a bunch of flashing colored lights and told us, âThis is the spirit of Christmas.'â
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar â Getty Images
Jerry West Demands An Apology
Needless to say, Mr. Clutch himself wasnât a fan of how he was portrayed in the show, either. According to Ramona Shelbourne of ESPN, Westâslawyers have even demanded a retraction and apology from the show:
âFormer Los Angeles Lakers executive Jerry West demanded a retraction and an apology for what he called âa baseless and malicious assaultâ on his character in the HBO series âWinning Time,â in a letter sent Tuesday evening by his legal team to the network and producer Adam McKay, which was obtained by ESPN,â reported Shelbourne.
Jerry West â Getty Images
Itâs one thing to spice things up to draw more viewership, it even makes sense. But why would you alter the story that much, especially when the people you talk about are alive and well and can fact-check everything?
