The long-awaited show about the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers is finally here. HBO’s ‘Winning Time’ is supposed to be a huge hit even among non-NBA watchers, featuring a star-studded cast and centered in one of the most iconic moments in sports history.
Nonetheless, as entertaining as the show may seem, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stated that they weren’t looking forward to it, leading some people to think that it may not be exactly accurate.
That seems to be the case early on its debut season, as NBA insider Marc Stein recently pointed out that its portrayal of Lakers legend Jerry West, his temper, and some of the anecdotes aren’texactly true.
Marc Stein Rips HBO’s ‘Winning Time’ Over Portrayal Of Jerry West
(Transcript via Marc Stein)
“Jerry West’s old office at The Fabulous Forum did not have windows to hurl objects through in anger. None of the Forum’s basketball offices did.
West also, to my knowledge, did not keep his 1969 NBA Finals MVP trophy in that office. That scene Sunday night when he supposedly chucked it through glass in frustration because the Los Angeles Lakers drafted Magic Johnson over Sidney Moncrief? Total fabrication.
I’m likewise told West never played golf in a foursome with eventual Lakers owner Jerry Buss and then-Lakers general manager Bill Sharman. Even if he had, I’m quite confident that West — ever the gentleman in public — never would have broken a golf club over his knee or storm away from a putt to engage in a curse-filled shouting match with the regal Sharman.”
Critics Say The Show Isn’t Historically Accurate
Critics seemingly have the same opinion as Stein. Apparently, the show doesn’t exactly stick to the facts and, albeit entertaining to watch, doesn’t represent what truly happened during the Showtime era:
“Winning Time is a watchable show that doesn’t seem to have any other compelling reason to exist other than to be watched,” Cinema Blend reported. “Its tone is broadly comedic, but it’s not actually very funny; it’s a show about basketball that’s really a show about America, or capitalism, or guys who f*ck, or something. It’s a show about one of the most interesting subjects I can imagine that seems to fundamentally misunderstand what actually makes that subject interesting.”
West has opened up about how mistreated he’s felt by the Lakers over the past couple of years, so maybe this doesn’t exactly come as a surprise to him. Hopefully, his portrayal on the show won’t stain his nearly-unmatchedlegacy.
