Jerry West

"The portrayal of NBA icon and L.A. Lakers legend Jerry West in 'Winning Time' is fiction pretending to be fact -- a deliberately false characterization that ...

West left the Lakers to take over the Memphis Grizzlies in 2002, and has since gone on to work for the Clippers and Golden State Warriors. At least publicly, his relationship with the Lakers has been somewhat frosty ever since. In the series, which is based off Jeff Pearlman's book "Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty," West vehemently argued against the selection of Magic Johnson, threw his Finals MVP trophy through a window and attempted to replace interim head coach Paul Westhead with former teammate Elgin Baylor in the middle of a road trip. "Jerry West was an integral part of the Lakers and NBA's success.

The attorney for Jerry West has demanded a public apology and retraction from HBO and the makers of "Winning Time" over his portrayal in the show.

It’s as if he strung together a bunch of flashing colored lights and told us, “This is the spirit of Christmas.” While West eventually had issues and moved on from working for the Lakers, those issues were not with the late owner Jerry Buss. The HBO website defines “winning time” as a drama series. People who knew Jerry West lept to his defense after episode one of the HBO series “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” — West was portrayed as a rageaholic, alcoholic man prone to tantrums. “Jerry West was an integral part of the Lakers and NBA’s success. West and his attorney have now sent a letter to HBO and the series’ makers demanding an apology and retraction.

NBA legend Jerry West is demanding that the creators of the HBO series “Winning Time” retract what his attorney describes as a “false and defamatory ...

In 2017, legendary actress Olivia de Havilland sued FX over her portrayal in the miniseries “Feud: Bette and Joan,” contending that the show painted her in a false light by making her out to be a hypocrite and a gossip. A California appeals judge eventually tossed out de Havilland’s lawsuit after finding “Feud” to be protected speech and contending that her lawsuit had little probability of success based on the merits of her claim. But in January, a U.S. district judge allowed the lawsuit to proceed, saying works of fiction are not immune from defamation lawsuits. West steps down as coach early in the series after disagreeing with the team’s decision to select Magic Johnson with the first pick of the 1979 NBA draft, though he remains with the team as a scout. It was the owner [Jack Kent Cooke] who made the call.” Winning Time is a baseless and malicious assault on Jerry West’s character.

Jerry West in his Lakers days. We've been watching HBO's series Winning Time, about the rise of the Los Angeles Lakers around the time Jerry Buss bought the ...

Former Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar came to his defense, saying this: “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. It is a travesty that HBO has knowingly demeaned him for shock value and the pursuit of ratings. In fact, the legendary Laker, aka The Logo, is furious and demanding a retraction and an apology.

The stars of the Los Angeles Lakers featured in the HBO series "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" have given their verdict to the dramatized ...

HBO -- which is part of Warner Bros. Discovery, as is CNN -- declined comment regarding the criticism and West's apology demands. While the Hall of Fame center stressed that he understood historical dramas take liberties with actual events and that he doesn't have a thin skin when it comes to criticism, he called the characters in the project "crude stick-figure representations that resemble real people the way Lego Han Solo resembles Harrison Ford." to write a piece decrying "Winning Time" as being "deliberately dishonest" and "drearily dull."

The HBO Series "Winning Time" has generated plenty of buzz, but not all of it has been positive. HBO's dramatization of the Lakers Showtime Era has taken a few ...

"Jerry West was an integral part of the Lakers and NBA's success. Mr. West, has not taken kindly to his depiction in the series. Specifically, the portrayal of the legendary Jerry West.

Jerry West, a Lakers legend, isn't the only one perturbed with the depiction of West in HBO's “Winning Time.”

Magic Johnson said he isn’t interested in watching “Winning Time,” and word is Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, the daughter of one-time Lakers owner Jerry Buss, didn’t support the show. The letter says the show’s creators acted with malice, fabricated events, portrayed West as incompetent and as someone he is not and permanently tarnished West. While there is no legal action now, West’s attorney doesn’t rule it out. What’s real and what’s not? You have perpetrated an egregious wrong on a good and decent man and have harmed him in the process. This should never have happened; and by issuing a retraction, you can ameliorate some of the harm you have caused.” The subplots extend beyond West and include the NBA and others with competing interests who have Lakers-centric TV programs coming out or in the works.

Jerry, Kareem, and Magic are pissed. However, we'll never know exactly what they're so pissed about. Are they angered by a television show that's playing ...

But I really feel like we did a really good job of showing humans and showing a full version of who we at least perceive them to be. Or, are they irritated by the fact that it’s exposing some truths in a social media era from a time when secrets were a lot easier to keep? Amusement park portraits that emphasize one physical feature to amplify your appearance — but never touching the essence.” “So I don’t know what this stuff [‘Winning Time’] is, I haven’t watched it, I’m not gonna watch it. “Jerry Buss is Egomaniac Entrepreneur, Jerry West is Crazed Coach, Magic Johnson is Sexual Simpleton, I’m Pompous Prick. They are caricatures, not characters. Are they angered by a television show that’s playing fast and loose about actual, or made-up, events?

The portrayal of NBA icon and LA Lakers legend Jerry West in 'Winning Time' is fiction pretending to be fact — a deliberately false characterization that ...

The anger about West’s portrayal has been brewing among his friends, associates and those who covered West as a player and executive. “We understand that the show has been picked up for one more season. In nine Finals appearances, West’s Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics six times and the New York Knicks two times. “In all of our dealings, he has been courteous, respectful, generous and self-deprecating. Winning Time is a baseless and malicious assault on Jerry West’s character. The letter says the series depicts West as “as an out-of-control, intoxicated rage-aholic.