Writer of 'Winning Time' book calls out 'Mad Dog' and Stephen A. Smith for claiming Jerry West hated HBO portrayal
The NBA and the basketball world are mourning the death of the legendary Jerry West. Known popularly as “The Logo,” West was a beloved figure who impacted the sport for over three decades. He was an LA Lakers superstar before transitioning to the sidelines as a coach and then as an executive.
Because of his mind-boggling success wherever he had a role in basketball, West’s life also interested many. In 2014, Jeff Pearlman wrote Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s. Eight years later, the book was adapted to the screen by HBO for a 10-part docuseries called Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.
On Wednesday, Chris Russo, also known as “Mad Dog,” blasted the way Jerry West was portrayed. Russo said that how West was brought to life in the show was “ridiculous” and “terrible.” Stephen A. Smith confirmed the claim that the iconic guard and his family were also “bothered” by West’s characterization in the docudrama.
Jeff Pearlman reacted to the exchange between the veteran analysts and called the back-and-forth “bulls**t.” He added that “there is a 0% chance Jerry West spoke with SAS about “Winning Time.”
According to Pearlman, the assertions were just made for TV as Smith would “never admit” Chris Russo’s claim was true. He pointed out that arguments could be made about how West was portrayed but blasted the ESPN co-hosts:
“But don't just create s**t to come off more in the know than you are. For f**k's sake. Have a level of integrity.”
Jerry West made it clear in an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2022 how he was depicted in “Winning Time.”
“The series made us all look like cartoon characters. They belittled something good. If I have to, I will take this all the way to the Supreme Court.”
Based on how strongly West felt against the series, it isn’t a stretch to say he and his family were bothered by the portrayal. Also, Stephen A. Smith and the 1972 LA Lakers NBA champ might have talked about that issue at one point. There’s no way Jeff Pearlman could guarantee there was a “0% chance” the two exchanged their thoughts about the series.
Jeff Pearlman has defended how Jerry West was portrayed in “Winning Time”
Jeff Pearlman blasting the claims of Chris “Mad Dog” Russo and Stephen A. Smith is consistent with the author’s stance over the years. He has defended the way his book was adapted on screen by Adam McKay. With Jerry West’s passing bringing back the same issues he had already answered before, Pearlman isn’t taking a step back.
Two years ago, he gave this comment on “The Rich Eisen Show:”
“It is a dramatic series, it is not a documentary. … I love the show, I love everything about the experience. … I think the depiction is really good. I think Jason Clarke is brilliant. If you read West’s autobiography, which is one of the best sports books ever, it is sort of true to the tormented soul that he was.”
During his public back-and-forth with legendary author Bob Ryan, Jeff Pearlman said that he interviewed “350 people” for his book. Pearlman insisted that "Winning Time" was a "detailed, precise, honorign of source material." It was his response after Ryan slammed the book and the film for the way Jerry West was played.
Smith is never known to back down and Pearlman’s response to the clip likely caught his attention already. Fans will be tuning in to see how the ESPN sports analyst will answer.