Magic Johnson ain't watching HBO's hit series about his time with the Showtime Lakers ... but the actor who plays him is defending the show -- telling TMZ Sports everyone on the project means absolutely no disrespect to the Hall of Famer.
Icons like Magic and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have recently spoken out against "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" ... with Johnson telling us earlier this year he wouldn't be watching, and the latter saying the show is a waste of time to any REAL Laker fan.