Magic Johnson Responds to Cancellation of Lakers Collection ‘Successful Time’: “I By no means Watched”

On the heels of Sept. 17’s season two finale of HBO’s Successful Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, followers had been shocked to be taught that the collection had been canceled. Others, like Magic Johnson, had been unfazed.

“Nicely, I by no means watched it as a result of no person on this world can inform the Lakers story [like it needed to be told]. The Showtime story? No person! Dr. Buss was method forward of his time as an proprietor. Our workforce? Unbelievable! The Laker ladies with Paula Abdul? Unbelievable! No person can inform that story,” the NBA nice informed The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday night time when requested about it on the purple carpet on the Elizabeth Taylor Ball to Finish AIDS. “So, none of us watched it as a result of it was fictional. You simply can’t inform that story. However, hey, that’s on them.”

Primarily based on Jeff Pearlman’s ebook, Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers, Successful Time chronicled the skilled and private lives of the Nineteen Eighties Los Angeles Lakers, one among sports activities’ most revered and dominant dynasties. Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht co-created the collection, which starred John C. Reilly as Jerry Buss, Quincy Isaiah as Johnson, Jason Clarke as Jerry West, Adrien Brody as Pat Riley, Sally Area as Jeanie Buss, Dr. Solomon Hughes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jason Segel as Paul Westhead, DeVaughn Nixon as Norm Nixon, Delante Desouza as Michael Cooper, and Sean Patrick Small as Larry Hen, amongst others.

As for whether or not Johnson would sort out his personal life story in a story format, he informed THR that he’s open to it. “If I do, I received two of the largest pals within the enterprise, [Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson],” he stated whereas Jackson stood over his shoulder on the occasion. “So, if I ever do it, it might be with one among my pals as a result of they already know me. We’ll see.”

Johnson was already the topic of the four-part Apple TV+ documentary collection They Name Me Magic. But when he by no means will get round to the film or restricted collection model of his life story, nobody may fault him for that, because the 64-year-old has his palms full on the enterprise entrance. Johnson, chairman and CEO of funding conglomerate Magic Johnson Enterprises, is co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, co-owner the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, Main League Soccer’s Los Angeles Soccer Membership and eSports franchise Group Liquid. He additionally has controlling pursuits in EquiTrust, a multibillion-dollar monetary providers firm, and SodexoMAGIC, a meals service and services administration firm, amongst different pursuits.

Earlier this 12 months, he grew to become one of many co-owners of the Washington Commanders. “I’m thrilled that I’m an NFL proprietor and to have the ability to break down a few of these boundaries the place minorities hadn’t been,” Johnson continued at Thursday’s occasion. He credited his companions, led by Josh Harris, and stated that past being amongst a handful of Black NFL workforce house owners, the choice to put money into one other skilled sports activities workforce made monetary sense. “I additionally love soccer and it’s an excellent funding. The upside is nice.”