Showtime Author Jeff Pearlman Reacts To Magic Johnson & Buss Family Not Involved With HBO’s Winning Time Series
On Wednesday evening, the creator of TheReWind, Maliika Walker, hosted her weekly show on HoopSpaces, and week her special guest was Jeff Pearlman.
If you are not familiar with Pearlman, he is an NYT best-selling author of 9 books, including Showtime based on the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers. The book is also the basis for the upcoming television show on HBO Max entitled ‘Winning Time, written by co-creator and EP by Jim Hecht. The series is scheduled to premiere on March 6, 2022.
Last December, Magic Johnson was interviewed by TMZ and asked to share his opinion on the upcoming HBO series.
“No, we got different shows coming out,” Magic said. “I got one; then you got Jeanie Buss got one on Showtime coming out.”
“Those are the ones I’m looking forward to.”
Adding, “I’m not looking forward to it. I’m going to leave it at that.”
During the conversation between Pearlman and Walker, he was asked by former Atlanta Hawks Public Relations Director Arthur Triche about Magic electing to do a documentary of his own and Jeanie Buss as well.
“So, that’s a good question. So, it seems that way a little bit, So, basically, this series from my book was [adopted by] HBO. Now, HBO is making a ten-part first season. The first season is about the `1979-80 [Los Angeles Lakers team],” said Pearlman.
“It’s not a documentary; it’s actually a dramatic series with actors, and the Lakers don’t have anything to do with it, and I don’t think they are thrilled by it, to be honest with you. So, I know Jeanie [Buss] announced her own project, and I know Magic is doing his own project on Apple TV like a documentary about that era. So, they are probably trying to throw some competition out there and control the narrative. I totally understand that, but they don’t have anything to do with the HBO series. HBO approached them, but they decided not to be a part of it for one reason or another.”
He added, “I have written books before, and I think sometimes people say, well what’s in this for me? You aren’t paying me. And I don’t get to read it before it goes out. No, you don’t! So why am I going to do this? And imagine the Lakers and Magic Johnson it’s going to be about me, but I don’t have control? Why would I do that? So, he’s not!”
Speaking of Magic Johnson over the weekend there was a viral clip from All-Star Weekend with Michael Jordan and himself where Jordan challenged him to a game of one on one.
If you heard some of the legendary stories about Jordan’s competitiveness, you know he wasn’t joking. The two had some epic battles during their careers including facing off in the 1991 NBA Finals, in which Jordan’s Bulls came out on top winning the franchise first out of six championships in the 1990s.
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