1 of 5 | Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah, L) became increasingly frustrated with coach Paul Westhead (Jason Segal). Photo courtesy of HBO
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 4 (UPI) — In the latest episode of Winning Time, actor Jason Segal bid farewell to his role as coach Paul Westhead, revealing that leading up to Westhead’s inevitable firing generated a sense of anxiety.
“It was a bittersweet relief because you could feel it coming,” shared Segal during a Zoom interview with UPI prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
While Westhead steered the Los Angeles Lakers to a successful season in 1980, Season 2 of the show introduced hurdles. Westhead encountered conflicts with both Pat Riley and the team owners, rejected trades, and struggled to resolve inter-personal disputes.
“As we approached the firing, there were moments where I performed scenes or read scripts and thought, ‘This guy’s going to get fired, man,'” Segal conveyed.
One particular inter-personal dispute emerged between Westhead and Magic Johnson. Despite Johnson’s vocal protests, Westhead insisted that Johnson adhere to the Westhead system.
“The bigger miscalculation was thinking that leadership is a dictatorship,” Segal offered.
Co-creator and showrunner of Winning Time, Max Borenstein, specified that Segal’s agreement always addressed his eventual departure from the show. While history reveals that Westhead was fired in 1981, the pacing at which the show reached this point was determined by Borenstein.
“Jason wanted to start as a sidekick character, with the understanding that he would eventually undergo a full Shakespearean arc,” stated Borenstein.
In the first season of Winning Time and the 1979-80 NBA season, Westhead served as assistant coach under Jack McKinney. Following McKinney’s motorcycle accident, Westhead assumed the role of head coach.
Borenstein asserted that Westhead’s character evolved “from someone who was just happy to be there to someone who was striving and grappling with the challenges of being a leader among some of the greatest players ever.”
In the end, Segal suggested that Westhead sealed his own fate by feuding with Johnson. Johnson requested a trade, and losing him was not an option for the Lakers.
“He really picked the wrong fight,” Segal remarked. “Paul Westhead wasn’t going to win a power struggle against Magic Johnson.”
Actor Quincy Isaiah, age 26, defended Johnson’s actions during the season and disputed claims that “Magic got his coach fired.”
“Magic felt like he wasn’t being respected,” Isaiah expressed. “I don’t believe Westhead was able to comprehend that, internalize it, and attempt to create a better environment.”
Isaiah noted that Westhead stubbornly clung to his position of authority, which left Johnson with no alternative.
“After Johnson requested the trade, he gained more power,” Isaiah explained. “You get to witness the aftermath of it all.”
Westhead’s departure led to Riley taking over as head coach. While Riley eventually guided the Lakers to winning seasons, Brody perceived his friend Westhead as self-destructing.
“It was more saddening than anything else for me, considering the friendship they had,” shared Brody. “You realize you have to save yourself and the other teammates on the ship.”
Brody agreed that Westhead was unaware of the pressures he exerted on Johnson. Brody credited Riley’s ability to coach Johnson according to his needs, which ultimately contributed to the team’s future success.
“Riley’s understanding that Magic required encouragement, guidance, and a different approach to excel led to both of their survivals,” Brody concluded.
Segal speculated that Westhead may have suffered from impostor syndrome. Despite the 1980 championship victory, Segal suspected that Westhead still felt overshadowed by McKinney and overcompensated as a result.
“Throughout the season, you’re witnessing someone’s pride getting the best of them,” Segal analyzed. “Paul Westhead desperately wants everyone to believe that they are responsible for the team’s success because he himself doesn’t know if that’s true.”
Although Lakers fans know that Riley would become the head coach of the Lakers throughout the ’80s, Winning Time will explore the uncertainty behind the scenes following Westhead’s departure.
“It’s one of the stories that fans least remember,” Borenstein acknowledged. “The outcome that we are aware of was not inevitable at all.”
Winning Time airs Sundays at 9 p.m. EDT and can be streamed on Max.
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