The Untold Mystery Behind Vic Weiss' Mysterious Demise: Unraveling the Truth

Summary

Vic Weiss's death remains a mystery, as no killer has been identified. The show hints at possible mob involvement but never reveals the culprit.

Withholding Weiss's death until the conclusion of the episode generates suspense and initiates an investigation aimed at revealing the identity of the murderer.

The series employs artistic liberties when recounting the true story, resulting in criticism from former Lakers players who argue that essential figures such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson are inaccurately depicted.

The Vic Weiss death in the third episode of HBO's Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty serves as a cliffhanger, but the identity of Jerry Tarkanian's associate's killer remains unknown. The main focus of the episode revolves around the Los Angeles Lakers' search for a new head coach following Jerry West's departure. Jerry Buss quickly narrows down his preferred candidate to controversial college coach Jerry Tarkanian. Vic Weiss, a longtime associate of Tarkanian, becomes a significant part of episode 3's storyline as they accompany Tarkanian in meetings with Jerry Buss. However, Weiss mysteriously goes missing towards the end of the episode, and his body is later discovered in the trunk of his car. The series accurately portrays these events, including the yellow blanket in which Weiss' body is wrapped and the location of his car in a parking garage after several days. Nevertheless, the 2022 HBO Max show does not delve into the details of who killed Jerry Tarkanian's loyal colleague.

Vic Weiss' Winning Time Death

The death of Vic Weiss in the Winning Time episode 3 was portrayed off-screen intentionally, as the killer's identity was never revealed. It hinted at trouble when unspecified mobsters were shown at the restaurant where Weiss and Tarkanian met Jerry Buss. The meeting came to an end due to the feeling of threat by Weiss and Tarkanian, a wise decision. Later, the show depicted Tarkanian driving around Beverly Hills and discussing the disappearance of Mrs. Weiss' husband. However, a few days later, Weiss was discovered dead in the trunk of his Rolls-Royce, with a Jerry Buss business card tucked into his collar.

The purposeful choice in Winning Time episode 3 was not to showcase Vic Weiss' death directly, but rather to unveil his fate towards the end. Following the discovery of Weiss' body, an investigation commenced to identify his killer. He was found dead on June 17, 1979, with two gunshot wounds to the head. Despite a thorough examination of Weiss' life and potential evidence found in his Rolls-Royce, the police failed to establish the murderer's identity. Even after more than forty years, his murder remains unsolved, though various theories have emerged.

The True Story Of Vic Weiss' Death

The prevailing belief is that Vic Weiss was killed by the mob. Weiss was an avid sports gambler who frequently found himself in debt to various mobsters. Despite working for them, he embezzled funds from their money-laundering operations for his personal gain. It is believed that Weiss' inability to repay his debts ultimately led to his demise. Detective Leroy Orozco's only significant lead in identifying the responsible party/parties was a witness who saw a tall blonde man and another unidentified suspect entering Weiss' car on the day he went missing.

Despite the police's efforts to connect the case to various low-level criminals, they were unable to identify either man. The unidentified tall blonde suspect remained a mystery. This lack of resolution not only left Weiss' family without closure but also had an impact on Jerry Tarkanian's decision to decline the coaching job for the Lakers. This event eventually unfolded in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.

Winning Time Doesn't Always Accurately Adapt True Stories

The main issue with Winning Time on HBO is the inaccuracies in the storyline. Although the depiction of Vic Weiss' death was mostly accurate and followed the established narrative, there were numerous aspects that offended individuals associated with the Lakers organization. One notable deviation was the portrayal of events leading up to the death of Vic Weiss. In reality, Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke offered Jerry Tarkanian the job in 1977, which was two years before Buss acquired the team. It seems that this alteration was possibly made to integrate Buss more significantly into the narrative. Nevertheless, many former players were displeased with various other changes.

Winning Time depicted Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as a crude and disrespectful character, an interpretation that Abdul-Jabbar himself strongly disapproved of. He insisted that he never used offensive language towards child actor Ross Harris, as the show alleged. Abdul-Jabbar criticized the series for reducing each character to a single exaggerated trait, transforming them into caricatures rather than well-rounded individuals. Among the numerous complaints, one of the most prominent was the negative portrayal of Jerry West as a megalomaniac. Abdul-Jabbar lamented this, expressing disappointment in how West was depicted and claiming that the show turned him into a figure of ridicule, akin to Wylie E. Coyote.

Winning Time faced numerous problems in its portrayal of Magic Johnson. In response to questions about the show's accuracy, Johnson expressed that it was not authentic due to the absence of Lakers insiders sharing their perspective. Johnson particularly criticized the inaccuracies that depicted him as a "sexual simpleton," as described by Abdul-Jabbar, and falsely claimed that he impregnated one of his future wife's friends. It is important to note that Winning Time is a work of fiction that presents a fictionalized version of the Los Angeles Lakers' historical events. While certain elements, such as the Vic Weiss death, are based on reality, a considerable number of the show's narratives are entirely fabricated.