UPDATE: On April 26, in a statement issued to E! News, HBO responded to former franchise exec Jerry West, who previously demanded an apology from the network and producer Adam McKay over his portrayal in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. Their response? The hit series is "not a documentary."
"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 said. "Winning Time is not a documentary and has not been presented as such."
The statement continues, "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."
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We'll be sitting courtside as this news plays out.
Last month, HBO released its new drama series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty—based on the book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s by Jeff Pearlman—which follows the personal and professional lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers. On April 19, the legal team of former Los Angeles Lakers executive Jerry West sent a letter to HBO and Winning Time producer Adam McKay demanding a retraction and apology for his depiction in the series, according to ESPN.
West's lawyer Skip Miller said in the letter, "Winning Time falsely and cruelly portrays Mr. West as an out-of-control, intoxicated rage-aholic," which "bears no resemblance to the real man."
"Jerry West was an integral part of the Lakers and NBA's success," the letter continued, "It is a travesty that HBO has knowingly demeaned him for shock value and the pursuit of ratings."
"As an act of common decency," the letter went on to say, "HBO and the producers owe Jerry a public apology and at the very least should retract their baseless and defamatory portrayal of him."
Former players including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes and Michael Cooper are quoted on West's behalf in the letter.
Abdul-Jabbar said that the series turned West "into a Wile E. Coyote cartoon to be laughed at."
"He never broke golf clubs, he didn't throw his trophy through the window," Abdul-Jabbar continued in the letter. "Sure, those actions make dramatic moments, but they reek of facile exploitation of the man rather than exploration of character."
West's lawyers say that HBO's disclaimer that the series is a dramatization doesn't protect the network from liability and that they would like an apology within two weeks from the date of the letter, ESPN noted.
The letter also claims that the series—starring John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah and Jason Segel—strayed from the book and "shows malice in your false portrayal."
But West isn't the first to speak out about the series. Previously, Abdul-Jabbar criticized the "bland characterization" of characters and Magic Johnson noted that he would not be watching the series, due to the fact none of the actual Lakers players were asked to participate.
E! News reached out to HBO for comment.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is available to stream on HBO Max.
(This story was originally published on April 20, 2022.)