HBO’s cancellation of “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” after just two seasons has bummed out a lot of fans of the miniseries.
But don’t count Magic Johnson among them.
The retired Lakers superstar is a key figure in “Winning Time,” played by Quincy Isaiah. You’d think Johnson would be at least a little bit curious about how he was portrayed. But in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter after the cancellation, Johnson said: “Well, I never watched it because nobody in this world can tell the Lakers story [like it needed to be told].
“So, none of us watched it because it was fictional,” Johnson added. “You just can’t tell that story. But, hey, that’s on them.”
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When asked whether he would ever seek to tell his own life story in a narrative form onscreen, Johnson did not close the door.
“If I do, I got two of the biggest friends in the business,” he said, referring to Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson. “So, if I ever do it, it would be with one of my friends because they already know me. We’ll see.”
Back in 2012, I saw a biographical stage drama titled “Magic/Bird,’’ about Johnson’s friendly rivalry with Celtics legend Larry Bird. Written by Eric Simonson and directed by Thomas Kail, it had a deservedly short-lived run on Broadway. (Kail would have better luck a few years later at the helm of a little musical called “Hamilton.”)
Listed among the producers of “Magic/Bird” was “Friends of Magic/Bird,” an organization whose members included none other than Magic Johnson.
Don Aucoin can be reached at donald.aucoin@globe.com. Follow him @GlobeAucoin.