HBO's “Winning Time” centered around the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s has entertained the casual viewer, but hasn't done the same for the actual Lakers featured in the show. First, it was Magic Johnson who publicly distanced himself from the project. Now, it's the logo himself Jerry West expressing his frustration over his own portrayal in the series.
According to a report from ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Jerry West's camp as “demanded” the series to retract his portrayal and is hoping for an apology over any damage done to his reputation.
“Winning Time falsely and cruelly portrays Mr. West as an out-of-control, intoxicated rage-aholic,” saying that “bears no resemblance to the real man,” and ask for a retraction no later than two weeks from the receipt of the letter.
“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 has caused great distress to Jerry and his family,” said Skip Miller, a partner at the Miller Barondess, LLP law firm in Los Angeles and attorney for West. “Contrary to the baseless portrayal in the HBO series, Jerry had nothing but love for and harmony with the Lakers organization, and in particular owner Dr. Jerry Buss, during an era in which he assembled one of the greatest teams in NBA history.
The series does assert that they took certain liberties in creating the series and that the portrayals aren't completely accurate. But West's side claims that still doesn't absolve them of any wrongdoing.
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