First it was Magic Johnson, and now it’s the logo of Jerry West, who isn’t a fan of his portrayal on HBO winning time Series.
In a statement obtained by ESPN, which the outlet said was sent to the network and executive producer Adam McKay, representatives for the former Lakers player, coach and general manager said the series “Mr. Falsely and cruelly portrays West as an underdog -control, intoxicated anger aholic.” The series, which focuses on the Showtime era of the legendary Lakers franchise in the 1980s, features Jason Clarke as West and John C. Reilly as then-team owner dr Jerry Buss.
The show is based on Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s. West himself called the series a “baseless and malicious attack” on his character.
Skip Miller, one of West’s attorneys and a partner at law firm Miller Barondess, LLP, said the show was based on fabrication that attempted to create facts that “were of great concern to West and his family.”
“…Jerry [West] had nothing but love and harmony with the Lakers organization and particularly owner Dr. Jerry Buss, during an era in which he assembled one of the greatest teams in NBA history,” the statement read, per ESPN.
West has long been recognized as one of the finest men and mentors to multiple generations of NBA talent to break into the league. It’s very easy to see how upset he could be with the HBO show’s view of him, considering he’s considered a Laker legend and never a bully.