It must be unusual seeing your life story being told in a television show. Unless you are intimately involved, there’s a very good chance the specific details of all that you went through are going to be presented incorrectly. And that appears to be how Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson feels about the original series Winning Time, available with a subscription to Max. The show ran for two seasons, and documented the rise of the “Showtime” Lakers, as well as their rivalry with Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics. But Johnson was no fan, and had better ideas as to whom should play him in a movie about his life.
Earvin “Magic” Johnson ranks as one of the most famous players in L.A. Lakers history. He was played in the Max series Winning Time by Quincy Isaiah, though if Johnson is to be believed, he didn’t see any of the portrayal. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Johnson was asked to comment on the fact that Winning Time had been cancelled after two seasons, but the basketball icon told the trade paper:
Well, I never watched it because nobody in this world can tell the Lakers story [like it needed to be told]. The Showtime story? Nobody! Dr. Buss was way ahead of his time as an owner. Our team? Unbelievable! The Laker girls with Paula Abdul? Unbelievable! Nobody can tell that story. So, none of us watched it because it was fictional. You just can’t tell that story. But, hey, that’s on them.
Winning Time was building a bit of a following. Working off the book by Jeff Pearlman, the show went through the highs and lows of the launching of the Lakers dynasty. It put together a commendable cast, all tasked with playing larger-than-life and colorful characters. This included Adrian Brody as coach Pat Riley, Jason Clarke as Jerry West, and John C. Reilly as Lakers owner Jerry Buss. But the show also attracted a slew of timely guest stars, as when Mike Epps played comedian Richard Pryor, and Olli Haaskivi played the head of Nike, Phil Knight.
Magic Johnson was far from the only Laker representative to sling mud at Winning Time. Jerry West went ahead and hired attorneys due to his portrayal on the show, and Magic’s teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hasn’t held back his opinion on the show. When asked by THR if he’d ever go ahead and put his own life story in a televised show, Johnson replied:
If I do, I got two of the biggest friends in the business, [Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson]. So, if I ever do it, it would be with one of my friends because they already know me. We’ll see.
You’ll see that version of the story before you see more Winning Time, because the show has been shelved, and our own Erik Swann is really disappointed about this fact. Specifically because of the way that Season 2 ended. But in an exclusive interview, he did get details about how that epilogue came together, so if you are curious, check it out.
