HBO canceled its show Winning Time in September because of a 40% drop in viewership and has refused to answer who the intended audience was. Remember that the Lakers team shown in the program is between 45 and 40 years old (the show’s story ends in 1984). The network also didn’t answer what made them think the public would be interested in the stories of a group that age when the NBA has recently added an In-Season Tournament because it wants to “drive additional interest in the early portion of the regular-season schedule.”

That’s code for the NBA is not satisfied with its number of spectators.

Additionally, HBO PR chiefs Raina Falcon and Diego Aldana did not answer what impact the criticisms of former Lakers had on the show. Magic Johnson, Norm Nixon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and more spoke negatively about Winning Time any chance they could when the show went lite on their reputations in comparison to Jeff Pearlman’s book, Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s, it is based on. Interestingly, no one is discrediting Pearlman’s writing, and he spoke with close to 300 people for the assignment.

In the summer of 2023, during the SAG-AFTRA strike, cast members of Winning Time could not promote the program. Still, Pearlman, who even had a cameo as a journalist in one episode in season two, did futilely on X(formerly Twitter) as much as possible.

Johnson told reporters he “never watched” HBO’s “fictional” account and that no one could tell the story. Yet, the scenes from the show of him working out with Pat Riley to recover from his knee injury come from his 1983 memoir (published at age 23) Magic by himself and Richard Levin.

Abdul-Jabbar said it was boring because of bland, crude characterizations and compared it to gossip-mongering on the Real Housewives in his Substack writing page.

Nixon said it wasn’t true and that he never had issues with Johnson, as a guest on the Skyhook podcast with Michael Cooper and Abdul-Jabbar. His son, DeVaughn, portrayed him on the show.

In later interviews, he criticized Johnson for his tight bond with Buss, saying he couldn’t hang out so frequently with the owner and then with the team, but never mentioned that he partied with both as well. (At the peculiar press conference introducing Pat Riley as Lakers coach, Buss revealed that he was going to a birthday party with Johnson and Nixon.)

Gary Vitti chose not to return after two days of consulting in protest of Jerry West’s portrayal.

Riley just walked by and said “no” when asked by reporters at Miami Heat training camp if he liked Adrien Brody’s interpretation of him.

Jeanie Buss, who tried to get the show canceled before it aired, said she thought no one had a right to tell the Lakers’ story in her interview with Graham Bensinger. “We tried for a couple of years [to shut down the show. We] really leaned on the corporate lawyers, and I thought they would be able to stop it. The explanation given to me is that it’s protected under first amendment rights…”

Despite early objections to production and material in the program, Jeanie Buss admires the performance of John C. Reilly as her father, calling it “absolutely breathtaking as [Jerry Buss].

Here’s the deal: The show took many liberties, bothering and hurting some of those who lived it, especially West, who even pursued legal action, demanding a retraction and apology from HBO. The Network denied both.

In reality, West didn’t throw his trophy out of a window. Johnson didn’t storm off the court after his altercation with coach Paul Westhead. Jack Kent Cooke was not that unfriendly towards Jerry Buss. Bill Sharman couldn’t raise his voice that high, then. Claire Rothman did not unbutton her shirt to flatter Buss’ eye. And Buss was more sensitive than his portrayal, despite showing mainly his cavalier side, plus many other things.

But it was never a documentary and there is a disclaimer that it is a dramatization.

Still, Johnson is the luckiest that Winning Time was canceled and didn’t follow Pearlman’s book 100% to the text. Here’s an excerpt of Frank Brickowski describing his mansion parties in Chapter 13- Virginal: “He would have the finest girls in LA there. The absolute finest. And at midnight you had to get busy with somebody or get the fuck out. So, if you were a guy, at midnight you’d get as close as you could to the hottest possible woman. Magic went around in this voyeuristic way. He’d check on you. He’d go throughout the house, the pool. He’d order people to start doing things. All you had to do is be near a chick. There were guys who would yell, ‘Magic, she’s not getting busy! She’s not!’ He’d run over there and she’d get busy…”

Furthermore, in one scene of the show in Episode One, The Swan, Abdul-Jabbar is shown telling his child co-star of the film Airplane to “Fuck off.” He denied this in his blog or ever mouthing off to any minor. However, Linda Rambis, executive director of special projects with the Lakers, is on the record in Chapter 4- Center of Complications in Pearlman’s book saying, “Some little kid would ask for an autograph and he’d say, ‘Go fuck yourself.’ But Kareem was, otherwise, an incredible professional.”

But Rothman, the former general manager of the Forum, now retired at 95 years old, said to Five Reasons Sports Network that Winning Time was unfair to its subjects but that it was closer to realism in the second season.

Regarding Buss, Rothman said the show did not accurately depict the dimension of the man. “He was an avid reader who read two or three books a week. He loved theater. He loved symphony. He loved ballet.”

He was also receptive to the ideas of his employees. For example, Rothman once asked for a raise. She wrote him a memo explaining how underpaid she was compared to people from all over the country who did similar work, but he never read the second page. Two weeks later, Buss summoned her to his Pickfair mansion for a business lunch. There, he obliged her wishes and gave her a $100,000 raise on the condition that she couldn’t ask for another next year.

Buss also got involved as a donor to The Music Center in LA. Rothman was on the board at the time. She and others who were closely around him were dispirited by the direction of his character because they agreed Buss wasn’t one to disrespect another publicly.

Concerning the interpretation of Abdul-Jabbar, Rothman said it was stupid.

Rothman was appalled by West’s “unkind” depiction, too. She had a friendly relationship with him when she worked at the Forum, but he never interfered with her business. His priorities were basketball matters, and the one time they discussed anything in her field was in a brief comment about Barbera Streisand not coming to perform at the Forum, according to Rothman.

She said there weren’t enough moments that showed his softer side. Towards the end of Pearlman’s book, he does showcase West’s generosity, taking his colleagues out to dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House while providing them with laughs.

And she was sickened by the scene of her character undoing her hair and then the top buttons of her shirt.

Pearlman said in an interview on The Rich Eisen Show that Winning Time wasn’t a documentary, but he understands the frustration of those portrayed, and that he has no issues with the characterization, particularly West, because it is in line with his autobiography, West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life. “It’s sort of true to the tortured and tormented soul that he was.”

He would add in his interview with Eisen that West “was combustible, highly strung, couldn’t watch his team…”

Jeanie Buss wasn’t interested in helping HBO after she saw the script for episode one. She sent a copy of it to Rothman, who, in solidarity, wouldn’t participate either.

In 2022, the same year as Winning Time’s first season, the Lakers publicized their show Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers. It is a 10-part docuseries directed and produced by Antonie Fuqua. Jeanie Buss was also an executive producer.

The first four episodes cover the Showtime Lakers era, and some of the interviews shown validate Pearlman’s book.

In the first episode of Legacy, West, a program volunteer, said, “Coaching for me was a difficult chore. I am an emotional person, and sometimes, I don’t hide that very well.”

He also mentions feeling sad for the players who competed for him from 1976-79.

The following episode explains the awkward press conference when Buss announced that West and Pat Riley would be in charge of the offense and defense post firing of coach Westhead. Jeanie Buss described it as tone-setting for their working relationship because her father wanted to be known as a decision-maker. The team’s former public relations director, Bruce Jolesch, is quoted in Pearlman’s book, saying, “We put on a clinic on how not to conduct a press conference.”

In the same episode of Legacy, West says that he didn’t think Nixon was a good compliment to Johnson in the back court, but the two of them were arguably the top guard pairing in the NBA. Johnson wrote in his memoir that he told Buss that Nixon was the top guard choice he’d like to play with because “his quickness adds a dimension to my game that nobody else can.”

According to Pearlman, West booted Nixon from the team the because he saw him as an issue. He hired a private investigator to try to identify a drug problem to justify his cause.

With Winning Time’s cancellation, the opportunity was wasted by HBO (unless the rights to the program are bought and another studio continues) for the show to continue the dramatized story of Showtime or even one of the following duos- the Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant era from Pearlman’s Laker follow up, Three Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty.

West, Jeanie Buss, Nixon and Pearlman didn’t want to speak for this story.

Searching for its fourth win in a row, the Miami Heat started RJ Hampton at point guard next to Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Haywood Highsmith and Bam Adebayo, overpowering the Warriors at Chase Center. Jimmy Butler (calf), Kyle Lowry (soreness), Josh Richardson (back) and Caleb Martin (ankle) were all absent, but the group still supplied 60 points in the paint.

In the first six minutes, the Heat’s attack looked potent as Adebayo moved in the paint for multiple jumpers, and Herro plus Jaquez scored from inside and out. But then it bogged down, suffering a 5-16 run by Golden State to end the quarter as it made one of its last 13 attempts.

Subsequently, coach Erik Spoelstra subbed in Nikola Jovic all of frame two, and the Heat’s 2-3 zone held the Warriors to two of seven trays. The 2-2-1 press was also used to slow down the ball coming up court. In five minutes, Jamal Cain’s activity disrupted the hosts’ actions by playing like a free safety.

Offensively, the visitors erupted for 36 points as five Heatles recorded multiple baskets, yet comically, bucket-getting rookie Jaquez had no points but three dimes. Baseline cuts, transition dunks, corner triples and blow bys put the Heat ahead 57-51 at intermission.

Before quarter three, the Heat squeezed 12 points out of the Warriors’ nine turnovers and scored 30 in the box while making five of 14 triples. No turnovers, two fewer rebounds, and less trips to the line produced nine additional field goal attempts for the Heat. Herro and Adebayo combined for 25 points on 10 of 22 shots.

Then Jaquez put the guests in control. He bumped Brandin Podziemski away for a hook, spun past Jonathan Kuminga in the post, pump-faked Klay Thompson into the air and faded over him on the baseline, and pierced the Warriors’ zone for a four-foot layup.

And Cain, who had registered just 130 minutes for the season, added eight points, pivoting around Trayce Jackson-Davis for a layup, finishing on the break and scoring at the dunker spot.

The Heat entered the fourth quarter ahead 91-76. Defensively, the squad protected the 3-point line well, contesting all eight Warrior attempts, permitting one to fall. Cain checked Curry, forcing a failed long-two and was blown by and the next attempt, but Jovic, the help defender, influenced the miss at close range.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr kept Curry in less than seven minutes of the fourth.

The Heat’s offense logged 34.8% of its tries in the last interval, but it was just outscored by three.  It won on the road 114-102. The Heat scored 60 paint points on 30 of 51 ventures. Even with a quiet night from Duncan Robinson (five points), the reserves contributed 44 points in contrast to Golden State’s bench having 51.

At the postgame presser, Spoelstra said the team wanted to set the tone at the start of its five-game Western road trip. On the topic of Hampton, Cain and Jovic’s minutes, the coach was complimentary. “Without those three guys and their contributions tonight, we are not winning this game…”

In the locker room, Herro was asked about involving them, too. He said the guys have a “next man up mentality, being able to fufill [roles] for the guys who are out.”

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The NBA’s fourth-slotted XMAS day matchup of 76ers @ Miami was more eventful than anticipated considering the absences of MVP Joel Embiid- a no-go with a sprained ankle for the visitors- and Jimmy Butler- out for the hosts because of an illness and calf strain. It didn’t matter. The 76ers got within striking distance late. The Heat were carried by rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. And there was even an R.J. Hampton sighting.

Early, the Heat went down double digits because Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro were exploited off the dribble, Jaquez was backed down by Tobias Harris and Caleb Martin failed to recover to the corner in time on a kick out to, again, Harris. But Jaquez and Bam Adebayo unbuttoned the offense for the Heat with a storm of inside cuts through the middle, post-ups, transition attacks and a pull-up jumper.

But the first to go down was Martin, who had five rebounds nearly eight minutes in. He hurt his right ankle, tracking a loose ball out of bounds. He labored through subsequent possessions, but coach Erik Spoelstra subbed Jamal Cain in, ending Martin’s night.

To start the second quarter, Lowry caught and elevated for a layup in the lane but got tripped by Harris, getting him clipped in the back of the head by Adebayo’s knee.

Cain issued a take foul on the following play, and Lowry wobbled on the way up with the help of his teammates. He wasn’t medically examined after almost getting knocked out. Apparently, someone needs to have a seizure from excess contact to the head for concussion protocol to take effect at Kaseya Center.

As the interval progressed, Tyrese Maxey, who missed six tries in the first, misfired over Cain and Hampton’s tentacles. Yet, Philadelphia’s backup center, Mohamed Bamba, converted six of seven shots from inside and out. His issue was failing to stop Herro’s floater and Kevin Love’s deep jumper.

Before halftime, Herro also hit a fall-away shot in the corner plus another on the same side over Kelly Oubre and cut through the center for a left-handed layup. Adebayo scored seven more points. And JJJ spun past Oubre for a close-range finish and scored again in transition.

At halftime, the Heat were ahead 63-49, with two points scored off turnovers, eleven on the break, four from second chances and 26 in the paint. Herro, Adebayo and Jaquez combined for 44 points on 17 of 30 attempts. In that span, the hosts held Philadelphia to 35.8% shooting.

In the third quarter, the Heat fell apart defensively, conceding 37 points in a weak zone and man coverage. Maxey was still struggling, but Oubre, Melton and Harris battered the Heat with triples and drive-bys.

In this frame, Herro bricked five trays as Philly contested cleanly after the catch. But Jaquez was depended on, canning an open corner trifecta, seizing the baseline for a layup and pulling up from 17 feet away.

Both squads were tied at 86 entering the fourth quarter and, because they couldn’t defend without fouling, were in the bonus with under eight minutes to go. Philadelphia made seven of 13 freebies, and Miami logged 13 of 14. Aside from that, Jaquez cut again on the baseline, this time for a dunk, plus swished a floater over Harris in the paint. And Adebayo scored three more baskets in the lane.

The Heat won 119-113, finishing with a 20-point rebound advantage and 10 more free throw attempts. In the half court, Miami scored 103.2 points per 100 of those plays, good enough for the 66th percentile of all games this season, per Cleaning the Glass.

Jaquez, who had a career night of 31 points on 11 of 15 shots and 10 rebounds, handled the on-court interview. He said, “It was a great team effort all around.”

At the postgame presser, Adebayo was also pleased. He said, “We got the W and that’s most important because Spo is still undefeated (9-0) on Christmas.”

Jimmy Butler missed his second straight game (sixth total), but Jaime Jaquez Jr. got the start, and the Heat downed the visiting Hawks with 122 points on 43.6% shooting from long range. Tyler Herro scored from everywhere, and Duncan Robinson carried Miami toward the finish line.

Early, Herro erupted for 14 points, easily blowing by Trae Young and then Clint Capela as the help shot blocker for a deuce. He also torched drop coverage and swished jumpers at the top of the key and corner.

Yet the protection was feeble, allowing Dejounte Murray and Young to combine for seven of eight tries through 12 minutes, dusting point-of-attack defenders and hurting the Heat’s drop. Multiple looks were deployed to stop Young, but no one could stay in front of him when he dribbled to the hole.

In the second quarter, JJJ channeled Butler on a catch-and-shoot jumper, a post-spin past Bogdan Bogdanović, plus a turnaround hook and layup over Capela. Center Bam Adebayo supplied three paint scores and covered multiple Hawks on each possession.

Defensively, the Heat were dreadful, permitting the Hawks to log 50% from the field and 40% from deep through two periods. The latter could have been much worse because Miami was late to contest some corner shots that missed.

At intermission, the Heat led 62-60, with 26 points scored in the box, eight off turnovers, seven via second chances and two on the break. Herro and Jaquez were in charge of Miami with 31 combined points on 12 of 18 ventures.

Next, the turd quarter returned as the hosts converted a meager six shots and committed six turnovers. Here, Herro and Adebayo made 25% of their shots. The only success the Heat had on offense was slowing down the match by getting to the line for 12 freebies. On defense, it shut down the scorching Bogdanović, who had 20 points in the first half, to a single make in six bids by sending the low man at his drive and contesting his jumpers.

In the fourth, Adebayo failed four more attempts, and Young had a flurry late, but Robinson took over. He feasted, canning two trifectas, a lane floater, a putback on the break after JJJ’s miss and a cut through the middle for a layup. Herro added nine points on 60% shooting.

The Heat won 122-113, recovering 52.4% of rebounds and allowing only 40 points in the paint. Herro and Robinson combined their scorecards for 57 points on 19 of 32 made baskets. Notably, the halfcourt offense scored 118 points per 100 plays in the set, good enough for the 93rd percentile of all games this season. In the last two quarters, Miami contained Atlanta to prosperity on 38.5% of its field goal efforts.

Herro assisted with Bally Sports’ on-court interview, saying his “twin,” Robinson, opened up the offense with precision and movement. “He made it easy on me. [Robinson] is the man.”

At the press conference, Young referenced Butler’s absence. “It really doesn’t matter who is in for [the Heat]” because the players move off the ball.

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