Jerry West, a former NBA champion who was immortalized in the NBA logo, died at the age of 86 this week. West will go down as one of the largest contributors to the game of basketball after making his mark on the sport for several decades. The Hall of Fame guard won the 1972 NBA title as a player and then won eight more as an executive. West set up the blueprint for the Los Angeles Lakers’ 10 championship teams in the 1980s and 2000s, while also serving as an adviser for the Golden State Warriors.
Before reaching the NBA, West was a standout in the state of West Virginia as he dominated the high school ranks before landing at the University of West Virginia as a collegiate player. West is the Mountaineers’ all-time leading scorer with 2,309 points and had his No. 44 retired by the school.
After a legendary career at the collegiate level, West was selected by the Minneapolis Lakers as the No. 2 pick in the 1960 NBA Draft, after another Hall of Famer, Oscar Robertson, was selected No. 1 overall in that draft by the Cincinnati Royals.
West served as the co-captain on the 1960 United States Olympic men’s basketball team, while also appearing in 14 NBA All-Star Games. He even helped the Lakers defeat the New York Knicks in the 1972 NBA Finals and led the team in assists in each of the five games in that series.
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“We are overwhelmed by the love, support, and appreciation we have received from friends, colleagues, and basketball fans around the world,” West’s family said in a statement shared by the Clippers. “Jerry took incredible pride in his life-long association with the NBA. He felt fortunate to have been a player, coach, and executive during a time of explosive growth in the league. Above all else, Jerry cherished the close friendships and mentorships he formed with his teammates, coaches and players throughout his 64-year-career. We want to thank you, basketball fans everywhere, for supporting him. You fueled his burning desire to win — he did it for you.”
West leaves behind an iconic legacy when it comes to the sport of basketball. As a result, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, franchise legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, NBA commissioner Adam Silver, and many others paid tribute to the star player and executive on social media.
