The Showtime Lakers are one of the most famous teams in the history of the NBA, and their story has recently become quite popular around the world again thanks to HBO’s new show, ‘Winning Time’. A dramatized version of events, Winning Time follows the journey of how the team came together to become a dynasty, but the show is far from being a documentary or a retelling of facts.
While there was a lot of excitement and buzz around the show when it started to air, there has been quite a bit of criticism for it too, especially coming from the people on who it’s based. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar blasted the characterization in the show, claiming that it made caricatures out of real people, and Jerry West has gone on to suggest that he will bring up the matter of his portrayal in the Supreme Court if he must.
HBO hadn’t acknowledged West’s grievances until now, but the studio finally released a statement in support of the show’s creators.
HBO has issued a statement in response to Jerry West’s complaints about his portrayal in “Winning Time.” pic.twitter.com/eKvJDLSRpK
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) April 26, 2022
“HBO has a long history of producing compelling content drawn from actual facts and events that are fictionalized in part for dramatic purposes. ‘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.”
HBO has a history of backing its content creators and showrunners even against lawsuits from influential people, the studio’s commitment to producing quality material has seen them produce some of the most successful shows in history. Whether West is able to get an apology and a retraction from them legally remains to be seen, but the one thing that cannot be denied is that Winning Time is quite an entertaining watch.
