(For its part, HBO defended the series as “based on extensive factual research and reliable sourcing.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote in an essay that the series’ characterizations “reek of facile exploitation,” while Jerry West’s legal team demanded a retraction and apology. Recently, HBO’s Los Angeles Lakers drama series Winning Time, about the NBA franchise’s storied Showtime era in the the 1980s, was criticized by a number of the figures portrayed on the show. Mike is certainly not the first biographical project to spur criticism from subjects who weren’t involved, as it’s not uncommon for dramatizations of public figures to be made without their input. Tyson voiced similar concerns when the show was first announced in February 2021, with the star referring to it in a since-deleted Instagram post as “ tone-deaf cultural misappropriation.” Tyson is participating in a different scripted TV project about his life that is in the works from star and executive producer Jamie Foxx and director Antoine Fuqua. “He turned it down because he honors friendship and treating people with dignity,” Tyson wrote, in part. The day prior, Tyson claimed on social media that Hulu offered UFC president Dana White “millions” to promote the show. Heads will roll for this.” A later tweet read, “Hulu’s model of stealing life rights of celebrities is egregiously greedy.” Tyson also shared his thoughts via a number of Twitter posts that day, with one message reading, “Hulu stole my story. Discovery Deal Sends Max Series, DC and 'Harry Potter' Universe to Canada's Bell Media Leon Gast’s Academy Award winning documentary of 1974’s Rumble in the Jungle between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman is simply must-see.

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