Last week, Lakers legend Jerry West sent a letter to HBO demanding an apology and a retraction over how he's depicted the network's dramatization of the Lakers Showtime era, "Winning Time".
The letter was sent through West's legal team and described the depiction of West in the show as "a deliberately false characterization that has caused great distress to Jerry and his family".
A few high profile Lakers, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, have also condemned how the Lakers great is presented in the show.
After days of silence, HBO officially responded to West's letter. ESPN's Ramona Shelbourne was one of the first to report the statement.
"HBO has a long history of producing compelling content drawn from actually 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."
Safe to say, an official apology from HBO to West won't be coming any time soon. The network is clearly leaning heavy on the "fictionalized in part for dramatic purposes" disclaimer. West's legal team however, thinks the network is still liable for the "false characterization" despite the disclaimer.
This won't be the last fans hear about the ongoing HBO-Jerry West drama, but the network appears to have upped the ante.
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