What is the legacy of Magic Johnson and Paul Westhead's relationship?

Magic Johnson's relationship with Paul Westhead is under scrutiny due to its portrayal on HBO's Winning Time television series. So, what's the legacy of the contentious relationship between Johnson and Westhead?

Johnson was the LA Lakers' prized first overall pick in the 1979 NBA draft. Meanwhile, Westhead became the team's interim head coach 13 games into Johnson's rookie season after Jack McKinney had a near-fatal bicycle accident.

Westhead used McKinney's fast-paced offense en route to the 1980 NBA championship, with Johson being named as NBA Finals MVP. However, tensions between Westhead and Johnson grew in the 1980-81 season.

Paul Westhead wanted to have an offense centered around Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, while Magic Johson thought that playing faster was the key to the Lakers' success. There was tension all season long, and it culminated in the Lakers' disappointing exit in the first round of the 1981 playoffs.

In the most recent episode of Winning Time titled The New World, Westhead and Johnson had a heated confrontation after the Lakers' win over the Utah Jazz early in the 1981-82 season. The altercation happened in real life, and it led to Magic demanding a trade.

Shortly after Johnson's trade demands, the Lakers fired Westhead and replaced him with Pat Riley. It will play out in the next episode of Winning Time, but it will be interesting to see how they would show it.

Johnson was blamed for Westhead's firing even though Lakers owner Jerry Buss acknowledged that he wanted to fire him before his star player's trade demand.

Nevertheless, Pat Riley took the LA Lakers and turned them into the famous "Showtime" that won four more championships in the 1980s. It was the right decision by the franchise to start playing fast and let Magic Johnson take over.

Meanwhile, Paul Westhead coached the Chicago Bulls in the 1982-83 season but was fired after his first year. Westhead then took over the Denver Nuggets from 1990 to 1992. He also led the Phoenix Mercury to a WNBA championship in 2007.

---

Magic Johnson not a fan of 'Winning Time'

Magic Johnson at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game

Winning Time might be one of the best television shows at the moment, but Magic Johnson is not a fan of it.

Johnson explained to Entertainment Tonight last year why he wasn't planning on watching the series about his beloved LA Lakers.

"It's hard. I won't watch it because it's hard to duplicate," Johnson said. "You can't duplicate Showtime. I'm not gonna watch.

"Now, if the Lakers or myself or some Lakers have something to do with it, then I would, but it's just, you can't copy that, it’s just too much." (H/T Esquire)