Jason Clarke to Play Basketball Legend in HBO's SHOWTIME

Los Angeles Lakers legend Jerry West will be portrayed by Jason Clarke in HBO's upcoming pilot "Showtime."

Deadline states Clarke is set as West, the cantankerous tortured genius of basketball, who ought to be the perfect man to build the Lakers into a dynasty - if only he can get past his own worst enemy: Jerry West.

Adam McKay will produce and direct the first episode of the series based on Jeff Pearlman's book "Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s." Max Borenstein wrote the script with Jim Hecht, who will also executive produce.

Production is set to begin next month and will be produced through McKay's new, unnamed production company.

Clarke will also star in HBO's "Catherine the Great" and recently has been in "First Man," "Chappaquiddick," "Pet Sematary" and "Mudbound."

This was originally reported by Deadline.