Jerry West passed away peacefully at his home at the age of 86 years old on Wednesday morning, according to a press release from the Los Angeles Clippers. The inspiration for the NBA’s logo is one of the most important figures in the league’s history. After being selected second overall in the 1960 NBA Draft, he spent his entire 14-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
He led the franchise to nine appearances in the NBA Finals, however, he won just one championship as a player. West is the only player in NBA history to win NBA Finals MVP on a losing team. He averaged 27.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 2.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game – although the latter two stats were only tracked in his final season.
West was named an All-Star in each of his 14 seasons. He was named to the All-NBA Team and All-Defensive Team 12 and five times, respectively. His career led to him being named to the NBA 35th, 50th and 75th Anniversary Team. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980, his first year of eligibility.
Jerry West had an incredible career as an NBA executive
While Jerry West is one of the greatest basketball players of all-time, his executive career was equally impressive. He had a brief three-year coaching career with the Los Angeles Lakers upon retiring, leading the team to a 145-101 record before becoming an executive.
West is widely credited with bringing stars such as Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal to the Lakers. He is considered the architect of ten of the franchise’s 17 titles after winning one as a player. After leaving Los Angeles, he spent five seasons as general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies.
He later joined the Golden State Warriors as an executive board member. West played a key role in the franchise’s dynasty as he is credited for convincing ownership not to trade Klay Thompson. He had spent the past seven seasons as an executive board member with the Los Angeles Clippers.
He was set to receive his third Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction in 2024 as a contributor to the sport as an executive and consultant. In addition to his individual playing career, West has also been inducted as a member of the 1960 United States Olympics gold medal team.
