NOTE: this post contains spoilers for Winning Time season 2 episode 4, "The New World"
It's early in the 1981-1982 NBA season and the tension between Paul Westhead (Jason Segel) and Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) has reached a fever pitch due to Westhead's "System," culminating in an on and off-court showdown that leads Johnson to ask for a trade in the press. Speaking of trades, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes) dropped the bombshell that he was interested in playing for the Knicks.
So what was fact and what was fiction in this episode of Winning Time? Here's what we found out.
What was Paul Westhead's System?
The fiction
Since the start of the season, much focus has been placed on Westhead's System, his style of play for the Lakers. While former coach Jack McKinney (Tracy Letts) played to the strengths of his team and revolutionized the Lakers with his up-tempo offense known as Showtime, Westhead's style relied on players getting to spots on the floor and taking quick shots. Additionally, feeding the ball to Abdul-Jabbar was always desirable.
The fact
Sports Illustrated quoted Westhead as saying this about the System:
"It's a high-risk deal because I create high-risk problems for the opposition. The idea is to play ultrafast on offense and ultrafast on defense, so it becomes a double hit. And when it works, it's not like one and one is two. It's like one and one is seven."
Breaking that down further, in the System, players are supposed to force the pace of the game and sprint in transition to selected spots on the court every offensive possession and throw up shots within seven seconds.
Did Kareem Abdul-Jabbar want to be traded to the Knicks?
The fiction
After the Lakers learned of Johnson's $25 million contract, there was obvious animosity among the players. Even Abdul-Jabbar noticeably felt a way about the deal knowing the message that Johnson's contact sent to the other players. He went so far as to mention to the press that the whole ordeal is like watching a favorite child being picked. He also dropped the nugget that the only other place he would consider playing basketball is in New York. This was an obvious dog whistle for the Knicks franchise. Jerry West (Jason Clarke) later confirmed that Abdul-Jabbar had been talking to the team.
The fact
Abdul-Jabbar was interested in leaving LA, but this occurred during the 1981 offseason, so before the actual 1981-1982 season reflected in the episode. As reported in a 1981 New York Times piece, Abdul-Jabar asked the Lakers to be traded either to the Knicks or the then-New Jersey Nets. Allegedly, he wanted to finish his pro-career closer to home. Additionally, he supposedly wasn't fond of "an apparent problem in communications" with the Laker organization and "sagging morale on the Lakers' squad." Keep in mind, that his request for a trade came after the Lakers lost to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.
This shouldn't be much of a spoiler, but Kareem didn't wind up leaving LA.
What happened in Salt Lake City between Magic Johnson and Paul Westhead?
Johnson and Westhead continued to bump heads when the Lakers went to play against the Utah Jazz in Utah. Johnson was still having a problem with Westhead's System, and player and coach had bubbling resentment for one another. Despite the Jazz being the underdogs, they were able to keep the game close with the Lakers. Then during a timeout, Magic put some distance between himself and the team huddle, which Westhead took exception to and called the guard out on his standoff behavior in a disrespectful tone.
The two had a public display of friction, which led to Westhead giving Johnson the ultimatum of joining the huddle or going to the locker room. The episode makes it appear as if Johnson opts to go to the locker room. Moments later after the game, the duo has an intense one-on-one that leads to Johnson sharing with the press he wants out of LA.
The fact
According to Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s, the book upon which the show is based, on November 18, 1981, the Lakers faced off with the underdog Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. The game was indeed unexpectedly close, which some people attributed to Westhead's offense.
Right before halftime, Westhead called a timeout and proceeded to explain a play to the team. He noticed Johnson wasn't paying close enough attention as the young guard was trying to get a cup of water from the team's trainer. That's when Westhead yelled out, "Earvin, shut up. Get your ass in this huddle and pay attention." Johnson retorted that he was paying attention, and Westhead retorted, "Well, you should be looking at me."
Later, with four seconds in the game, Westhead huddled with his team again and noticed Johnson was purposefully ignoring him, looking elsewhere. Coach and player preceded to get into a heated discussion about whether or not Johnson was listening. The conversation ended with Westhead stating, "Forget it, you're clearly not paying attention." Johnson ultimately played the rest of the game, a point not shown in the Winning Time episode.
After the Lakers won by three, Westhead asked to speak with Johnson, and the two went into an equipment room near the visitors' locker room. Paul stated, "I'm tired of your horses**t attitude, and I'm not going to put up with it anymore. Either you start listening to me, or you don't have to play."
Johnson in turn replied, "You might as well sit me down, because I ain't being used anyway."
Then, as reported in a New York Times article, following that conversation with Westhead, Johnson told the press, "I can't play here anymore. I want to leave. I want to be traded.''
Winning Time season 2 airs new episodes live on HBO at 9 pm ET/PT. Season 2 episodes are also available to stream on Max.
