HBO’s upcoming series on the Showtime Lakers is generating a lot of excitement. But one of the subjects depicted is not too thrilled about it.
Retired L.A. Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar expressed displeasure this week with the new series “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” a fictionalized retelling of the Showtime Lakers era. The series, produced by Adam McKay, will debut on HBO Max next March.
“While I respect other artists’ rights to choose their subjects, I think the story of the Showtime Lakers is best told by those who actually lived through it,” Abdul-Jabbar told Matthew Belloni of Puck (h/t theScore). “Because we know exactly what happened.”
HBO just released the first trailer for the series this week. Actor Solomon Hughes plays Abdul-Jabbar. The series also has a number of notable stars, including Jason Clarke as Jerry West, Adrien Brody as Pat Riley and John C. Reilly as the late Dr. Jerry Buss.
It sounds like Abdul-Jabbar would prefer the story be told in documentary format, similar to the depiction of the Chicago Bulls’ dynasty in ESPN’s “The Last Dance.” But the Showtime Lakers already got a “30 for 30” series in 2017, albeit focusing on their famous rivalry with the Boston Celtics.
That does not seem to be good enough for the Hall of Famer Abdul-Jabbar, who has not been happy about what is going on in the City of Angels lately.
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