TV & Movies
Jealousy is ugly.
And we all knew Norman was really jealous.
The scene is dramatized, but theres some slight truth to the contentious nature ofNixon and Johnsons relationship.
And we all knew Norman was really jealous.
When Johnson was drafted onto the Lakers in 1979, Nixon was the starting point guard.
The two enjoyed several fruitful seasons together, but Nixon clashed with higher-ups specifically Lakers Coach Jerry West.
Their relationship was very antagonistic, former Laker Ron Carter told Jeff Pearlman in the book.
[Norm] had a huge ego and he was our leader.
As a coach, Jerry wanted to be the leader, and he and Norm bumped heads daily.
After West became the teams general manager in 1982, the hostility escalated.
Suspecting that Nixon was using drugs, West hired a private investigator to follow him around.
He was traded to the San Diego Clippers the next season.
“I wanted to create that fury and anger, that fight” Nixon said.
“And that’s exactly how it was read on the screen.”
Nixon described his co-star Quincy Isaiah, who plays Johnson, as his little brother on set.
“He was like, ‘Hey, what’s wrong with you?
Are you good?’
But that was just me getting in my method Daniel Day-Lewis acting.”
He also noted that part of the scene was improvised.
During the matchup, Nixon fakes Johnson out, causing him to fall to the ground.
However, Nixon then steps over the toppled Johnson and shoves him back to the ground.
(Stepping over a downed player is a sign of disrespect in basketball).
It wasnt planned, DevAughn said of the moment.
“you’re free to see when [Isaiah] gets up, he wanted to kill me.
I called him almost immediately after and I was like, ‘Yo, great job.
He was like, ‘Man, I ain’t talking to you.’
But I told him it was all love.
That scene is now one of the standout scenes in the pilot.
I’m glad I pushed him, and I [frustrated] him.”
