you're right...I told H when we were watching it that it seemed like that to me. but then, so much of the King's issue with speech really seemed to be more of a psychological issue stemming from childhood traumas/experiences than it did an actual physical defect, so it perhaps needed that sort of approach.
the actors portrayed the nuances of the relationship excellently, I thought.
I haven't had a T relationship quite like that, but I have had a friendship that resembles that, a sort of mentor friendship that did a LOT to affect powerful change in my life when I was a teen/young adult (she's still a friend, but distance has caused drift.....)
the speech guy took all that King threw at him and kept believing in him; the King threw a ton of anger/hurt at the speech guy, but kept trusting him, defending him when others doubted. I liked that; it was a relationship that stood the test.