While the source of major controversy for its inaccuracies between the NBA old guard and the minds at HBO, people seem to be lovingWinning Time. The show created byAdam McKaywhich takes an intimate look at the 1979 Los Angeles Lakers and features depictions ofMagic Johnson(Quincy Isaiah),Dr. Jerry Buss(John C. Reilly),Pat Riley(Adrien Brody), andJerry West(Jason Clarke) has been renewed for a second season, and ratings have improved with every episode release.
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While the show cleverly posits at the end of each episode that it is a dramatization and not 100% accurate, the discourse regarding what the show has changed from the iconic team it revolves and the era of NBA it is set has been incredibly active. Many of the real life figures the show depicts have chastised, dismissed, or even sought legal action against the show.
Jerry West Was Not the Crazed Maniac the Show Makes Him Out to Be
The portrayal of Jerry West is perhaps the largest point of contention drawing criticisms from sports journalistBob Ryan,Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and West himself whose lawyers are demanding an apology and retraction from Adam McKay and HBO. A major part of the first episodes, the iconic man behind the logo is depicted as pugnacious, temperamental, and a destructive mess with substance abuse issues.
Clarke claims that the heart of the character wasnot his anger but his devotion instead. West claims he never broke a golf club or threw his trophy through a window. Many includingJeanie Bussand Jabbar have co-signed West’s retraction letter chastising the show’s caricature of the famously calculated executive, one responsible for assembling both the Showtime Lakers and Golden State Warriors. Former head trainerGary Vittileft the show as a consultant over how West was being portrayed, confirming that while tormented, West internalized his rage instead of being prone to outbursts.
Box Score Statistical Discrepancies
While given a needed dramatic arc as a scrub team who must sharpen to compete, the 1979 Lakers had a far better record than the show gives them credit for with 60 games won and 22 lost. Further,Winning Timeis altering the outcome of a few of the iconic games played against opposing teams.
The loss to the 76ers shown in the episode “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” was by one point while the show posits it as a 20-point loss. Dr. J’s (Jordan Southerland) iconic “rock the baby” cradle dunk while shown majestically actually occurred in 1983 and was overNorm Nixon(played by his sonDevaughn Nixon) and not Magic. Even more egregiously, the first Celtics matchup in “Invisible Man” resulted in a blowout and not a nail-biter as the Lakers beat Boston by 18 points with a final shot by Norm Nixon and not a skyhook from Jabbar.
Larry Bird’s Trash-Talking Didn’t Develop Until Much Later
Mitigated by the fact that the show is told in the Laker perspective allowing for villainizations,Larry Bird(Sean Patrick Small)is depicted here as disrespectful, unsportsmanlike, and almost borderline racist. Larry Legend in reality while carrying a genuine competitive hatred for Magic never went so far as to hurl insults at the jovial, smiling Johnson or brag about his superiority in their first year in the NBA.
Bird while avoiding press attention, was far more congenial in front of the camera in pre-game interviews and Johnson claimed they would never speak to each other. While eventually gaining the reputation as one of the great trash talkers in the NBA, Bird’s famous “I’m going to get the ball” spoiler giveaway of his play to the opposition depicted in “Invisible Man” did not happen until much later in 1986 against the Seattle Supersonics.
Spencer Haywood Was Not a Bench Player
Wood Harris’Spencer Haywoodas a tragic figure with temperamentally and baggage finds some truth in the character despite a 20-year margin of error in their ages (Harris was 52 while Haywood was 31 at the time of the show’s events). While Haywood gets ousted from the team by a vote after his substance abuse problems spiral out of control, Haywood in real life was fired by Coach Westhead (Jason Segal) in a far more public arena after he fell asleep on the bench during a finals game.
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The show also takes liberties in downplaying Haywood’s essentiality, portraying him as a bench player while actually receiving 25 minutes of playtime. Here, the front office can’t wait to trade the Hall-of-Famer for his former teammateBob McAdoodespite there being no evidence of this. Shockingly, the story of Haywood’s self-circumcision was apparently true.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar Doesn’t Hate Children
While the spirit of Jabbar as shy, reclusive, and reserved may be closer than he gives the show credit for, Kareem is not pleased with how he is being depicted in the show. Portrayed by first-time actorSolomon Hughesand the staple prior to Magic, his character receives decent play in more than a few scenes.
One, in particular, has his real-life version unhappy with the show. Jabbar’s introduction on a recreation of theAirplane!set has him callously telling a child to “fuck off.” Jabbar claimed this never happened nor has he said this to any child and criticizes the show for how it may affect funding for his youth outreach programs.
The Norm Nixon Vs. Magic Johnson Pickup Game Never Happened
In the pilot episode “The Swan,” Magic Johnson is introduced as young, good-hearted, but out of his element. He shows up to an all-white party at Clippers ownerDonald Sterling’shouse wearing anything but white. A one-on-one pickup game with point guard Norm Nixon who sees the writing on the wall leads him to major embarrassment and causes him to be depressed and despondent until his dad inspires him.
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While Isaiah has the character down andeven read his book in preparation, none of this happened in real life despite Nixon balling in his white coat looking great on television. Kareem Abdul Jabbar would rail against the scene in his Substack fantasizing the writers fabricating the scenario from thin air and lacking an understanding of player dynamics and interactions.
Johnson Didn’t Actually Get Rhonda Pregnant
In “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” Magic reaps the consequences of his promiscuity. After his partnerCookie(Tamera Tomakil) finds out that he has impregnated her close friend Rhonda (Chelsea M. Davis) after sex without a condom she exits in disgust and leaves him dateless at the all-star dinner.
While still together today after a 14-year on and off long-distance relationship that resulted in their eventual marriage, there is no evidence that Johnson got any person named Rhonda pregnant and has only three confirmed children, two from Cookie and one from girlfriendMelissa Mitchell. Johnson in real life claims he isn’t watching the show due to its blatant inaccuracies.
Paula Abdul and the Laker Girls Was Not Jeanie Buss’ Idea
WhileWinning Timetakes the rock biopic formula of celebrity composites and applies it to the world of 80s NBA, stars likeJack Nicholson(Max E. Williams),Richard Pryor(Mike Epps), andIman(Mariama Diallo) get their treatment. Iconic Lakers head cheerleaderPaula Abdul(Carina Conti) is no exception and is recruited by Jeanie Buss (Hadley Robinson) right off the college field after her father Dr. Buss is disappointed by the current lineup of dancers.
The idea for the iconic laker girls actually came fromRoy Englebrecht, the director of promotions and neither of the Buss family members. Abdul, just 18 at the time beat out 700 girls for inclusion on the troupe and became head choreographer within a year. Four years from then, she was working for the Jacksons coming up with routines for their videos.
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