“Winning Time’s” model of Jerry West is a missed shot, based on the Los Angeles Lakers legend himself.
The former player-turned-head coach-turned-general supervisor has demanded a retraction and public apology for his depiction within the HBO collection “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” primarily based on Jeff Pearlman’s ebook in regards to the Showtime Lakers, calling it “a baseless and malicious assault” that “falsely and cruelly portrays Mr. West as an out-of-control, intoxicated rage-aholic” and “bears no resemblance to the real man.”
“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 has caused great distress to Jerry and his family,” his lawyer, Skip Miller, stated in a letter despatched Tuesday evening to HBO and producer Adam McKay and obtained by ESPN.
“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.”
Attached to the letter have been testimonials from associates and colleagues, together with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Claire Rothman, performed within the present by Solomon Hughes and Gaby Hoffmann, respectively.
In “Winning Time,” West, performed by Jason Clarke, is indignant and infrequently drunk, throwing trophies and golf golf equipment as he loses his tenuous grasp on the crew. The actual West additionally took explicit fault with the present’s depiction of him and Magic Johnson, whose drafting he opposed.
“It shows Jerry launching into expletive-filled tirades about the decision to draft Magic, implying that Jerry had personal animus against Magic. Worse, the show implies that Jerry tried to sabotage the drafting of Magic Johnson,” the letter reads. “This never happened. All Jerry did was point out that Sidney Moncrief was a prolific scorer and that the Lakers should consider him. It was not Jerry’s decision who to draft. It was the owner (Jack Kent Cooke) who made the call.”
West’s legal professionals have demanded a retraction inside two weeks and an apology to West.
Neither representatives for HBO nor McKay instantly returned a request for remark from the Daily News Wednesday.
“Winning Time,” which airs Sunday nights on HBO, was just lately renewed for a second season.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com