You know if it’s even half true the level in Winning Time of West being convinced he didn’t want Magic being drafted over Moncrief nor felt like he was capable of succeeding well in the NBA at his height, and tendency to be flashy with the ball playing the PG position (180 from how Jerry played the game) …. it wouldn’t be hard to imagine Johnson harboring some remembrance of that and a bit of ill will over all these years. And when Jerry wasn’t renewed with (or left) the Warriors and allegedly came to the Lakers wanting back in again, you can easily also imagine from their past history with West that neither he or Jeanie really wanted him back. Certainly Magic with his ego and not wanting to share decision making on the team, now that he had that power.
i would think all of magic's success on the court would erase any ill-will he had towards jerry in the beginning for not believing in him. but who knows but jerry certainly had reason to harbor ill-will towards magic after dr. buss gave him a piece of ownership but didn't do the same for west
I was listening to a podcast the other day (Silver Screen & Roll) that talks about the show a little each week, and they also fact check it, for fun I guess. Apparently they can find no record of that scene or anything like it happening in real life. Doesn’t mean I didn’t laugh my a** off at it though, I’m sure Chick wasn’t too far off of that. Oh and they did point out that Tarkanian’s agent was indeed murdered by the mob or whatever, but it didn’t have anything to do with the Lakers, he was skimming money off the top of a money laundering thing. They told him to stop, he didn’t. They said it was one of the things that stopped Tarkanian from taking the Lakers job, but he wasn’t killed as a warning to Buss or anything. Still a crazy story regardless.
what a great time to be a kid in the 80s, to watch the show time Lakers on channel 9 with chick hearn, then to be able to watch the unlv running rebels on channel 56 I think with Chick.
…. meh that nose and skinny as f***. Why’d they pick him? Riley was a tough and gritty player. Anyone could grow their hair out.
I think the casting was based on how it would play out when we get the slicked back hair Gordon Gekko version of Riles. I can see Adrien Brody pulling that off.
That nose though. That wimpy body. Anyone who could act could do the hair and at least look as mediocre as the guy they have playing Jerry West.
Most people don't remember or never paid attention to what Riley looked like before he turned into an Armani model.
Guy comes in and wins a ring with rookie Magic and the squad in his first year and Magic hates him and wants him gone after that one season I remember. Forget what that was all about. And the rest is history with Riles the Dictator.
No, you have some facts mixed up buddy, I’ll just let the season progress so you’ll be up to date Anyway, Pat being roasted constantly is hilarious knowing what he has achieved now.
Oh wow yeah I’m talking about Westhead. That was season 2 for Magic or did McKinney get hurt on the bike during the first season and he came in? I’m guessing it was season 2?
