NBA veteran and former LA Lakers executive, Jerry West is going to take on HBO for “falsely” portraying him as alcoholic and abusive in the hit new show, “Winning Time”.
Winning Time, the TV show dramatizes the story of how the LA Lakers built a basketballing dynasty at the heart of the NBA. The cast includes the likes of Hollywood bigshots such as Adrian Brody and John C. Reily. West’s role was played by Jason Clarke, who took a vindictive and malice full approach to depict West on the screen.
West has since asked for an apology from HBO with retraction on the show as well. West, the NBA Hall of Famer is willing to take the matter all the way to the supreme court if he has to. Jerry West also claimed in an interview that the show made caricatures of real people and made them look like cartoon characters.
Jerry West's not done with HBO's #WinningTime.
“The series made [the Lakers] look like cartoon characters,” West told former @latimessports editor Bill Dwyre. “They belittled something good. If I have to I will take this all the way to the Supreme Court.”https://t.co/r4cuxurzIX
— L.A. Times Sports (@latimessports) April 26, 2022
Jerry West had a hall of fame career as a player with the Lakers. He was known as ‘Mr. Clutch” for his decisive plays in crucial moments. Jerry is a 14-time NBA all-star and multiple-time winner of the championship. After his playing career was done, West had a brief stint coaching the Lakers before becoming a scout for them.
Subsequently promoted to general manager, West helped usher the Lakers into their “showtime” era where an attractive style of play earned the LA outfit a whopping 5 titles! The Lakers dynasty lasted until 1991 when Magic Johnson retired from the sport.
The new HBO show depicts the rise of the Lakers dynasty, But Jerry seems to have taken offense at how he was portrayed. The other people who were depicted also came out to bash the show.
Norm Nixon, the then Lakers point guard has come out to say that most of the dramatic events in the show never happened in real life. The Jerry West-HBO clash might very well be settled in the court of law.
