The HBO Max series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty might have been a hit for the streamer, but not everybody is a fan. Namely, some of the actual Lakers legends featured on the series, such as Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, have made it clear that they don’t intend to even watch through the scripted series. This seems to be in part due to the lack of any real-life Lakers’ involvement with the show, along with the dramatization of the team’s story.
Even so, fans have been enjoying it, so much so that HBO Max has renewed Winning Time for a second season. While that’s good news for star Quincy Isaiah, who plays Johnson in the series, he wants to clear the air about the backlash the show has drawn from Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar. Speaking about the situation with TMZ, Isaiah feels conflicted as he understands that it can be difficult for someone to watch a series taking creative liberties with that person’s life story. Be that as it may, the actor still feels proud of what the Winning Time has accomplished, insisting that there’s no “malice” behind the portrayals of anyone featured in the series.
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Isaiah also explains that he’s still a very big fan of Johnson, the NBA legend he has portrayed to critical acclaim in Winning Time. Even though Johnson won’t be watching Winning Time, Isaiah says he’ll be checking out the Apple TV+ documentary They Call Me Magic, which features interviews with the famous Laker and focuses more on the real-life story without the dramatization needed for a scripted TV series. He encourages fans to also check out both series. The actor also says he’s grateful for Johnson and his incredible legacy, as it opened the door for the role of a lifetime for Isaiah.
