Many have tuned into HBO's "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty", Adam McKay's interpretation of the story of the "Showtime" Lakers of the 1980s. Jerry West is not one of them.
West made his first public comments regarding his clash with "Winning Time" and its showrunners, saying "The series made us all [the Lakers] look like cartoon characters," West told LA Times sports editor Bill Dwyre. "They belittled something good. If I have to, I will take this all the way to the Supreme Court."
West's lawyers sent a letter out to HBO last week demanding an apology and retraction for what his lawyers termed was a "baseless and malicious assault" against West's character.
HBO responded, saying it has no plans to fulfill West's demands. In a statement released by the network, HBO doubled down on its support for the series, which has become one of television's most captivating watches of 2022.
“HBO has a long history of producing compelling content drawn from actual facts and events that are fictionalized in part for dramatic purposes,” HBO said in a statement. “‘Winning Time’ is not a documentary and has not been presented as such. 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.”
The show, which was recently renewed for a second season, is inspired by Jeff Pearlman's book "Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s." West's lawyers asserted that HBO acted with "legal malice" by including scenes in the series that were not a part of Pearlman's book.
West and fellow Laker legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have been among the most vocal opponents of the series, arguing that it is a largely fictitious account of those classic Lakers teams of the 1980s.
However, each episode of "Winning Time" begins with a disclaimer, as Hollywood Reporter's Winston Cho points out. The disclaimer reads as follows: “This series is a dramatization of certain facts and events. Some of the names have been changed and some of the events and characters have been fictionalized, modified or composited for dramatic purposes.”
If West were to sue for defamation, as he has indicated he is willing to, it may prove difficult to win the case. As a public figure, the burden for defamation suits is much higher.
Regardless, it seems "The Logo's" beef with HBO is just starting.
