HBO has responded to the legal demand from Los Angeles Lakers legend, Jerry West, who demanded earlier this month that HBO publicly retract their portrayal of him in their new drama series, Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty, according to Variety. West, who is played by Jason Clarke (Pet Sematary) called his portrayal a “deliberately false characterization” and a “baseless portrayal.”
In a statement, HBO responds to the demand, stating the following:
“HBO has a long history of producing compelling content drawn from actual facts and events that are fictionalized in part for dramatic purposes,” the network stated, per Variety. “‘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.”
The show is based off the book, Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, And The Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty Of The 1980s, by Jeff Pearlman (Football For A Buck: The Crazy Rise And The Crazier Demise Of The USFL). It has come under heavy scrutiny with the people being portrayed in the show including West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Hall Of Fame Center who is played by newcomer Solomon Hughes, and Claire Rothman, the General Manager of The Forum Arena, where the Lakers played at the time, who is played by Gaby Hoffmann (Uncle Buck).
Abdul-Jabbar said in a Substack blog post, “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.”
Rothman said in a statement via ESPN: “Jerry treated me and everyone else in the Lakers organization with dignity and respect. I never saw Jerry break or throw anything in anger or rage nor did I hear anyone ever say he did such things.”
Winning Time is currently in the middle of its first season and has already been renewed for a second season, according to Variety.