Magic Johnson has responded to the cancellation of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, sharing his honest thoughts on the HBO series.
Johnson Explains Why He Didn’t Watch Winning Time
Per The Hollywood Reporter, while on the red carpet at the Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS recently, Johnson was asked about Winning Time’s cancellation, saying: “Well, I never watched it because nobody in this world can tell the Lakers story [like it needed to be told].”
The five-time NBA champion continued: “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.”
Johnson also addressed whether he’d want to tell his own story in the form of a biopic: “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.”
Winning Time: The Rise of The Lakers Dynasty was cancelled by HBO after two seasons.
“A fast-break series chronicling the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of sports’ most revered and dominant dynasties — a team that defined an era, both on and off the court,” per the logline.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is written and co-created by Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht, who are also executive producing. The story is based on Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.
