Jerry West solely received one NBA championship in his profession with the Lakers, however the hall-of-fame player-turned-GM was so revered across the league that it crafted the group’s emblem in his picture. Now “the Emblem,” as he’s admiringly known as, is sad along with his portrayal in HBO’s sequence Profitable Time, in accordance with a number of studies.
In a letter reportedly despatched to HBO, Warner Bros., Discovery and government producer Adam McKay, West’s attorneys contend Profitable Time “falsely and cruelly portrays Mr. West as an out-of-control, intoxicated rage-aholic. The Jerry West in Profitable Time bears no resemblance to the true man.”
Many have stated as a lot, together with Lakers’ legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his Showtime-era teammates Michael Cooper and Jamaal Wilkes in addition to West’s successor, former Lakers common supervisor Mitch Kupchak, all of whom wrote testimonials that have been despatched with West’s letter.
Jason Clarke, who performs West within the present, actually emotes the aggressive hearth which West is claimed to have in spades, however the present’s plot has him scowling and offended a lot of the time, ragefully breaking his golf membership within the first episode and curling up in a fetal place (in his underwear) in a match of despair within the second.
“He by no means broke golf golf equipment, he didn’t throw his trophy by way of the window. Positive, these actions make dramatic moments, however they reek of facile exploitation of the person reasonably than exploration of character,” wrote Abdul-Jabbar in his assertion, in accordance with ESPN.
Whereas West solely received one championship as a participant with the Lakers, as an government with the group — a lot of it as GM — West helped carry 5 championships to L.A. within the ’80s (the Profitable Time period) and laid the groundwork for 3 extra within the early 2000s by drafting one Kobe Bean Bryant out of highschool.
“The actual Jerry West prided himself on treating individuals with dignity and respect,” reads the letter. “Profitable Time is a baseless and malicious assault on Jerry West’s character. You decreased the legacy of an 83-year previous legend and position mannequin to that of a vulgar and unprofessional bully — the polar reverse of the true man.”
Within the communication, West calls for a “retraction, apology and damages from HBO,” per ESPN.
Deadline reported the the sequence has been picked up for a second season.
