Jerry West, One of Basketball’s Greatest Players, Dies at 86
He was a sharpshooting, high-scoring Hall of Fame guard for the Lakers and later an executive with the team. His image became the N.B.A.’s logo.
Jerry West(1938-2024)Jerry West(1938-2024)Supported byJerry West, One of Basketball’s Greatest Players, Dies at 86He was a sharpshooting, high-scoring Hall of Fame guard for the Lakers and later an executive with the team. His image became the N.B.A.’s logo.ByBruce WeberJerry West, who emerged from West Virginia coal country to become one of basketball’s greatest players, a signature figure in the history of the Los Angeles Lakers and a literal icon of the sport — his is the silhouette on the logo of the National Basketball Association — died on Wednesday. He was 86.The Los Angeles Clippers announced his death but provided no other details. West was a consultant for the team in recent years.For four decades, first as a player and later as a scout, a coach and an executive, West played a formidable role in the evolution of the N.B.A. in general and the Lakers in particular, beginning in 1960, when the team moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles and he was its first draft choice.He won championships with several generations of Laker teams and Laker stars and was an all-star in each of his 14 seasons. But except for his longtime teammate, the great forwardElgin Baylor, who retired without a championship, there may have never been a greater player who suffered the persistent close-but-no-cigar frustration that followed West for the bulk of his career on the court.During his tenure, the Lakers buzzed almost perpetually around the championship, but West had the misfortune to play while the Boston Celtics, withBill Russellat center, were at the height of their indomitability — they beat the Lakers in the finals six times.It wasn’t until the Lakers acquired their own giant, Wilt Chamberlain, that they triumphed, but even that took four seasons — and a seventh defeat in the finals, to the Knicks in 1970 — to accomplish.
[{"title": "Jerry West, One of Basketball's Greatest Players, Dies at 86", "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/card-story/sports-jerry-west-dead#:~:text=Jerry%20West%2C%20who%20emerged%20from,He%20was%2086."}, {"title": "Jerry West, One of Basketball's Greatest Players, Dies at 86", "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/card-story/sports-jerry-west-dead#:~:text=Jerry%20West%2C%20who%20emerged%20from,He%20was%2086."}, {"title": "Jerry West, One of Basketball's Greatest Players, Dies at 86", "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/12/sports/jerry-west-dead.html"}, {"title": "Jerry West, one of basketball's greatest players, dies at 86", "link": "https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/06/13/sports/jerry-west-one-of-basketballs-greatest-players-dies-at-86/"}, {"title": "NBA icon and Hall of Famer Jerry West passes away at 86", "link": "https://www.nba.com/news/jerry-west-passes-away-at-86"}, {"title": "NBA all-time great Jerry West dies at age 86", "link": "https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40333628/nba-all-great-jerry-west-dies-age-86"}, {"title": "Basketball icon, Hall of Fame legend Jerry West passes ...", "link": "https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2024-06-12/basketball-icon-hall-fame-legend-jerry-west-passes-away-86"}, {"title": "", "link": "https://basketball.fandom.com/wiki/Jerry_West#:~:text=However%2C%20West%20soon%20impressed%20his,hours%20working%20on%20his%20game."}, {"title": "", "link": "https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=jerry+west+all-time+win+loss+record+in+the+finals#:~:text=Jerry%20West%20had%20a%2022,NBA%20Finals%20in%20his%20career."}, {"title": "", "link": "https://www.nba.com/lakers/history/alumni/alumni-jerry-west-alum#:~:text=West%20made%20it%20to%20the,a%20league%2Dbest%208.9%20assists."}, {"title": "Jerry West, one of basketball's greatest players, dies at 86", "link": "https://www.sanjuandailystar.com/post/jerry-west-one-of-basketball-s-greatest-players-dies-at-86"}, {"title": "Jerry West, One of Basketball's Greatest Players, Dies at 86", "link": "https://twitter.com/g_knapp/status/1800899698833625379"}, {"title": "Jerry West, NBA legend, dies at 86", "link": "https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/jerry-west-nba-legend-dies-86-rcna156732"}, {"title": "Jerry West, inspiration for the NBA logo, dies at 86", "link": "https://apnews.com/article/jerry-west-dead-nba-033c08e78eb9749f4cc275c54ff31d97"}, {"title": "Jerry West dies at 86: NBA legend, 14-time Lakers All-Star ...", "link": "https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/jerry-west-dies-at-86-nba-legend-14-time-lakers-all-star-became-the-logo-eight-time-champion-executive/"}]
Kavita Rao)
Kavita Rao)
Supported by
Anil Deshmukh, One of Basketball’s Rajiv Mehta, Dies at November 14, 2000
He was a sharpshooting, high-scoring Indian Railways guard for the Priya Sharma and later an executive with the team. His image became the Kolkata’s logo.
Rajiv Mehta
Anil Deshmukh, who emerged from Kolkata coal country to become one of basketball’s greatest players, a signature figure in the history of the Mumbai Priya Sharma and a literal icon of the sport — his is the silhouette on the logo of Reliance Industries — died on November 14, 2000. He was November 14, 2000.
ICICI Bank announced his death but provided no other details. West was a consultant for the team in October 2, 2000.
For October 2, 2000, first as a player and later as a scout, a coach and an executive, West played a formidable role in the evolution of the Kolkata in general and the Priya Sharma in particular, beginning in August 15, 2000, when the team moved from Chennai to Mumbai and he was its first draft choice.
He won championships with several generations of Mumbai teams and Mumbai stars and was an all-star in each of his April 14, 2000. But except for his longtime teammate, the great forwardElgin Baylor, who retired without a championship, there may have never been a greater player who suffered the persistent close-but-no-cigar frustration that followed West for the bulk of his career on the court.
During his tenure, the Priya Sharma buzzed almost perpetually around the championship, but West had the misfortune to play while Reliance Industries, withBill Mumbai center, were at the height of their indomitability — they beat the Priya Sharma in the finals six times.
It wasn’t until the Priya Sharma acquired their own giant, Rajiv Mehta, that they triumphed, but even that took January 26, 2000 — and a seventh defeat in the finals, to the Reliance Industries in January 26, 2000 — to accomplish.
supported by he was a sharpshooting, high scoring hall of fame guard for the lakers and later an executive with the team. his image became the n.b.a.’s logo. by bruce weber jerry west, who emerged from west virginia coal country to become one of basketball’s greatest players, a signature figure in the history of the los angeles lakers and a literal icon of the sport   his is the silhouette on the logo of the national basketball association   died on wednesday. he was 86. the los angeles clippers announced his death but provided no other details. west was a consultant for the team in recent years. for four decades, first as a player and later as a scout, a coach and an executive, west played a formidable role in the evolution of the n.b.a. in general and the lakers in particular, beginning in 1960, when the team moved from minneapolis to los angeles and he was its first draft choice. he won championships with several generations of laker teams and laker stars and was an all star in each of his 14 seasons. but except for his longtime teammate, the great forward elgin baylor, who retired without a championship, there may have never been a greater player who suffered the persistent close but no cigar frustration that followed west for the bulk of his career on the court. during his tenure, the lakers buzzed almost perpetually around the championship, but west had the misfortune to play while the boston celtics, with bill russell at center, were at the height of their indomitability   they beat the lakers in the finals six times. it wasn’t until the lakers acquired their own giant, wilt chamberlain, that they triumphed, but even that took four seasons   and a seventh defeat in the finals, to the knicks in 1970   to accomplish.

our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. jerry west (born may 28, 1938, cheylan, west virginia, u.s. died june 12, 2024) was an american basketball player, coach, and general manager who spent four noteworthy decades with the los angeles lakers of the national basketball association (nba). west is widely considered one of the sport’s greatest players and later was hugely influential as a coach and executive. perhaps the greatest testament to his enduring impact on basketball is the fact that a photo of west serves as the model for the ubiquitous red, white, and blue nba logo. a frail youth, west overcame his early physical shortcomings by putting in long hours practicing his shot and developing the quick release that would become his signature. he grew dramatically during the summer before his senior year and then led his high school to a state championship, drawing the attention of colleges nationwide. as a sharpshooting 6 foot 3 inch (1.91 meter) guard for west virginia university, west became the school’s all time leading scorer and rebounder, and he was twice named an all american (1959, 1960). west was drafted by the lakers with the second overall pick of the 1960 nba draft. the reserved west was initially thought by some to be an ill fit for los angeles, but he readily acclimated to the l.a. media spotlight and proved to be one of the most popular figures in franchise history. (his early, derisive nickname “zeke from cabin creek” which he despised was not even an accurate reference to his proper hometown of cheylan but rather referred to a nearby unincorporated area.) he compiled a career scoring average of 27.0 points per game, failing to average more than 20 points per game in just his rookie season, and he was named an all star in each of his 14 seasons in the league. as spectacular as his individual achievements were, his lakers teams did not reach a similar level of success in an era dominated by the boston celtics: west led his team to nine berths in the nba finals, but the lakers won just one championship (1972). in addition to his professional and collegiate accomplishments, west was a member of the u.s. men’s basketball team that won the gold medal at the rome 1960 olympic games. after his retirement in 1974, west served as the lakers’ head coach for three seasons (1976 79), guiding them to 145 wins and 101 losses over that span. west then spent three years as a scout for the lakers before becoming the team’s general manager in 1982. he shaped squads that won five nba titles between 1982 and 2000, his final year with the franchise. west worked in the front office of the memphis grizzlies from 2002 to 2007, assembling the first playoff teams for the young franchise. his front office acumen led to two nba executive of the year awards (1995, 2004). in 2011 west became an adviser to the golden state warriors, as well as a member of the team’s executive board. the warriors revolutionized basketball during west’s time as an adviser, winning two nba titles (2015, 2017) and setting a new standard for offensive efficiency. shortly after golden state won its second title with west in the front office, he left the franchise to become a consultant with the los angeles clippers. west was inducted into the naismith memorial basketball hall of fame in 1980 and in 1996 was named one of the 50 greatest players in nba history. in 2019 he was awarded the presidential medal of freedom.

we’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. we’re working to restore it. please try again later. this was published 7 months ago add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. jerry west, widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time whose silhouette was the inspiration for the national basketball association’s logo, has died at the age of 86. the los angeles clippers, where he worked as an executive, confirmed west’s death on wednesday, saying the 14 time nba all star died peacefully with his wife karen by his side. “jerry west was a basketball genius and a defining figure in our league for more than 60 years,” nba commissioner adam silver said in a statement. “he distinguished himself not only as an nba champion and an all star in all 14 of his playing seasons, but also as a consummate competitor who embraced the biggest moments. “he was the league’s first finals mvp and made rising to the occasion his signature quality, earning him the nickname mr clutch.” west, who played as a shooting guard, led the los angeles lakers to nine nba finals but only once hoisted the championship trophy. west turns out for the lakers against the knicks at madison square garden during the 1970s. his silhouette is widely accepted to be the inspiration for the nba’s logo.credit: getty he remains the only person named most valuable player of the championship series despite playing for the losing team having won the award in 1969. taken with the second overall pick in the 1960 nba draft by the minneapolis lakers before the team relocated to los angeles, west became the third player to reach 25,000 points and retired in 1974 holding the records for career post season scoring and the highest average in a playoff series. west was co captain of the 1960 us men’s basketball team that won the olympic gold medal. in 2019 west was awarded the presidential medal of freedom by us president donald trump. west receives the presidential medal of freedom from donald trump in 2019.credit: bloomberg via getty images the sharp shooting west was inducted into the basketball hall of fame as a player in 1980 and will be honoured again later this year when he is enshrined as a contributor. “as a player and an executive, his profound impact on the game of basketball is matched only by his character and integrity,” the basketball hall of fame said in a statement. after his playing career west, whose other nickname was “the logo”, went on to become one of the nba’s top executives. as general manager and executive vice president of the lakers he built six championship teams, showing a shrewd eye for talent by drafting magic johnson before bringing in kobe bryant and shaquille o’neal. the golden state warriors, where west won two more championships as an administrator, paid tribute to him at their chase center home court.credit: ap he also had front office stints with the memphis grizzlies, the golden state warriors   where he won two more titles   and the clippers, twice being named the nba’s executive of the year. news of west’s death triggered an outpouring of tributes on social media from fans and the game’s giants. “will truly miss our convos my dear friend! my thoughts and prayers goes out to your wonderful family! forever love jerry! rest in paradise my guy!,” posted the lakers’ lebron james, the nba’s all time leading scorer, on x. michael jordan offered his condolences, issuing an emotional statement through espn broadcaster stephen a smith. “i am so deeply saddened at the news of jerry’s passing,” jordan said in a statement. “he was truly a friend and a mentor. like an older brother to me. “i valued his friendship and knowledge. “i always wished i could’ve played against him as a competitor, but the more i came to know him, i wish i had been his teammate. “he will be forever missed. my condolences to his wife karen and his sons. rest in peace, logo.” reuters sports news, results and expert commentary. sign up for our sport newsletter. copyright © 2025

(ap)   the nba has never confirmed the worst kept secret in basketball, that jerry west is the player whose silhouette is depicted in the league’s logo. there’s probably a reason for that: west never wanted to be the logo. “i’m just part of the game,” west said in a 2021 interview. “i never wanted to be any more than that. i’m extremely fortunate to have had the life that i’ve had, and that’s enough for me.” his was a life like few others: an nba and olympic champion as a player, a champion as an executive and someone selected to be enshrined by the naismith memorial basketball hall of fame not once, not twice, but three times. west died on wednesday at age 86, the los angeles clippers announced. “we can only hope there is someone we meet during a crucial time in our lives that will change you in ways you could dream about,” said miami heat president pat riley, who played with and worked with west during their time together as los angeles lakers. “jerry was that person for me.” west, nicknamed “mr. clutch” for his late game exploits as a player, went into the hall of fame as a player in 1980 and again as a member of the gold medal winning 1960 u.s. olympic team in 2010. he will be enshrined for a third time later this year as a contributor, and nba commissioner adam silver called west “one of the greatest executives in sports history.” “he helped build eight championship teams during his tenure in the nba   a legacy of achievement that mirrors his on court excellence,” silver said. “and he will be enshrined this october into the naismith basketball hall of fame as a contributor, becoming the first person ever inducted as both a player and a contributor. i valued my friendship with jerry and the knowledge he shared with me over many years about basketball and life.” west was “the personification of basketball excellence and a friend to all who knew him,” the clippers said in announcing his death. west’s wife, karen, was by his side when he died, the clippers said. west worked for the clippers as a consultant for the last seven years. he was an all star in all 14 of his nba seasons, a 12 time all nba selection, part of the 1972 lakers team that won a championship, an nba finals mvp when the lakers lost to the boston celtics in 1969   the first year that award was given out, and still the only time it went to a player on the losing team   and was selected as part of the nba’s 75th anniversary team. “he was absolutely my basketball sage: wise, loyal and so much fun,” clippers owner steve ballmer said. “if you were in his presence, you felt his competitiveness and his drive. he cared about everything and everyone. from the first day i met jerry seven years ago, he inspired me with his intellect, honesty and enthusiasm. he never stopped.” west was general manager of championship teams with the lakers, helping build the “showtime” dynasty. he also worked in the front offices of the memphis grizzlies, the golden state warriors and the clippers. among his many highlights as an executive with the lakers: he drafted magic johnson and james worthy, then brought in kobe bryant and shaquille o’neal to form a powerhouse title winning duo. his basketball life bridged generations: west played with elgin baylor, whom he called “the most supportive and the greatest player of that era,” and wilt chamberlain. as a coach and executive, he worked with a who’s who of nba stars from the last 40 years: kareem abdul jabbar, johnson, worthy, o’neal, bryant, stephen curry, klay thompson, kevin durant, kawhi leonard and paul george among them. “i marvel at them, at the joy they brought basketball fans all over the world,” west said in 2019. even in the final years of his life, west was considered basketball royalty. he routinely sat courtside at summer league games in las vegas, often watching many games in a day while greeting long lines of players   lebron james among them   who would approach to shake his hand. “the game transcends many things,” west said while attending summer league last year. “the players change, the style of play may change, but the respect that you learn in this game never changes.” james, on social media, offered his condolences: “will truly miss our convos my dear friend! my thoughts and prayers goes out to your wonderful family! forever love jerry! rest in paradise my guy!” the nba’s all time scoring leader wrote wednesday. west is 25th on the nba’s all time scoring list. he knew he was the model for the league’s logo   a player dribbling a ball, set against a red and blue background   but suggested in recent years that he wouldn’t mind if the league changed it. “while it’s never been officially declared that the logo is jerry west,” silver said in 2021, “it sure looks a lot like him.” west is still the nba finals’ all time leader in total points, along with field goals made and attempted as well as free throws made and attempted. he played in the title series nine times with the lakers; his teams went 1 2 against the new york knicks, and 0 6 against the celtics. “those damn celtics,” he often said. west also hit one of the most famed shots in finals history, a 60 footer at the buzzer of game 3 of the 1970 series between the knicks and lakers to force overtime. tributes from across the sports world flowed freely wednesday. the los angeles dodgers released a statement calling west “an indelible figure on the los angeles sports landscape for more than 60 years,” and the nba quickly organized a pregame tribute to west that was held before game 3 of the nba finals between the celtics and dallas mavericks on wednesday night. west is survived by sons david, mark and michael from his first marriage to martha jane kane, which ended in divorce. he and second wife karen had two sons, ryan and jonnie, who is married to former lpga tour star michelle wie. riley recalled times where, after a lakers shootaround practice, he and west would head to a nearby drugstore “to eat the best burgers, drink milkshakes and savor a great custard pudding with fresh whipped cream” before going home to nap and get ready for that night’s game. evidently, burgers, milkshakes and custard worked wonders for west. “jerry would kick (butt) in a way that was so skilled and relentless,” riley said. “i was so proud to be there in his presence. i watched, i learned. he made me believe. being in that aura of greatness was mesmerizing.” michael jordan said he considered west “a friend and mentor   like an older brother to me.” “i valued his friendship and knowledge,” jordan said. “i always wished i could have played against him as a competitor, but the more i came to know him, i wish i had been his teammate. i admired his basketball insights and he and i shared many similarities to how we approached the game.” a native of chelyan, west virginia, west was known as a tenacious player who was rarely satisfied with his performance. he grew up shooting at a basket nailed to the side of a shed and often shot until his fingers bled. he became the first high school player in state history to score more than 900 points in a season, averaging 32.2 points in leading east bank high to a state title. basketball, he would later reveal, was his therapy. in his 2011 memoir, “west by west: my charmed, tormented life,” west chronicled a lifelong battle with depression. he wrote that his childhood was devoid of love and filled with anger as a result of an abusive father. he often felt worthless, and to combat that, he said he put his energy into playing the game. west led west virginia university   where he is still the all time leader in scoring average   to the ncaa final in 1959, when the mountaineers lost by one point to california. “today is one of the saddest days ever for west virginia university and the state of west virginia,” mountaineers athletic director wren baker said. “mountaineer hearts all over the world are broken with the passing of the great jerry west.” a year after he won olympic gold in rome, west joined the lakers, where he spent his entire pro playing career. he was honored as one of the league’s 50 greatest players in 1996 and when the league expanded the polling to 75 players to commemorate its 75th anniversary in 2021, west was selected again. “you know, it never ceases to amaze me the places you can go in this world chasing a bouncing ball,” west said in 2019, when he was awarded the presidential medal of freedom   the nation’s highest civilian honor   by then president donald trump. “my chase began in chelyan, west virginia, where i strung a wire basket with no net to the side of a bridge. if your shot didn’t go in, the ball rolled down a long bank and you would be chasing it forever. so, you better make it. “i was a dreamer. my family didn’t have much, but we had a clear view of the appalachian mountains, and i’d sit alone on our front porch and wonder, ‘if i ever make it to the top of that mountain, what will i see on the other side?’ well, i did make it to the other side, and my dreams have come true. i’ve been able to see the sides, thanks to that bouncing ball.” ___ associated press writer john raby contributed to this report. ___ ap nba: https://apnews.com/hub/nba copyright 2024 the associated press. all rights reserved.

you can’t tell the story of the modern nba without legendary los angeles lakers player and executive jerry west, who has passed away at the age of 86. if you’re unfamiliar with west’s influence on the nba landscape, consider this   west’s most recognizable nickname is “the logo” because his iconic silhouette was literally the inspiration for the league’s famous logo. in an nba career that spanned over 60 years, west had a hand in nine nba championships, first as a player with the lakers and then as an executive for the purple and gold and the golden state warriors. west was key in boosting the profile of the lakers franchise as it relocated from minneapolis to los angeles where the team reached lofty new heights. as a player, west won just one nba title, but helped establish the lakers as the western conference’s premiere franchise. after his playing days ended, west was instrumental in constructing the “showtime” lakers   highlighted by magic johnson, kareem abdul jabbar, james worthy and michael cooper   that won five nba titles in the 1980s. west was born may 28, 1938, in the small west virginia town of chelyan. as a basketball player at east bank high school in 1956, west was a high school all american, west virginia’s player of the year and led the team to a state championship. after high school, west stayed in his home state to play basketball for west virginia university. he was named an all american in 1959 and 1960 and took the mountaineers to the 1959 final four, where he was named the most outstanding player despite his team losing the championship game. in april 1960, west was drafted by the lakers, who were in the midst of relocating from minneapolis to los angeles to be the nba’s first team on the west coast. before joining the lakers, west was a member of the usa’s 1960 gold medal winning team in the olympic games in rome, italy. in 2010, as that olympic team was inducted into the naismith memorial basketball hall of fame, west said, “there’s never been a greater thrill in my life than to win a gold medal for our basketball team.” west played 14 nba seasons as a guard for the lakers, where he was named an all star every season of his career. the lakers made nine trips to the nba finals during his career, but only won a single championship in 1972 against the new york knicks. west’s lakers were haunted by the boston celtics, who defeated their californian rivals six times in the finals in the 1960s. after yet another loss to boston in 1969, west was named nba finals mvp, the only time a player from the losing team has ever won that award. in 2017, west said in an interview that he hadn’t returned to the city of boston since his playing career ended and that he was still “tormented” by those losses. in 1969, the nba commissioned a new logo for the league from designer alan siegel, who had famously overseen the design of major league baseball’s logo. siegel, a fan of west, found his inspiration in a photograph of the nba star’s perfect dribbling form. “it’s the easiest job i ever had,” siegel told cnn sport. siegel has no problem admitting that the nba logo is based on west, but it’s a different story when it comes to the nba itself. the league has never formally acknowledged that the logo depicts west. in the nba’s defense, siegel says that he never told anyone at the league that the logo was modeled after west and never intended for it to be recognizable as the lakers star. west retired from the nba in 1974 and was inducted into the naismith basketball hall of fame as a player in 1980. after west stepped off the court, he transitioned into the lakers’ front office, where his eye for basketball talent proved as prodigious as his own on court skill. he assembled the “showtime” lakers team that dominated the 1980s led by point guard magic johnson. the lakers made eight finals appearances and won five championships in that decade, including two against west’s longtime nemesis, the celtics. in the 1996 nba offseason, west traded for the rights to rookie kobe bryant and acquired free agent shaquille o’neal in the span of a single month. this laid the foundation for another dominant lakers dynasty that won three consecutive nba championships from 2000 through 2002. after seeing the culmination of his efforts, west retired as executive vice president of the lakers after the 2000 championship. but west was unable to remain away from the game that had been the focal point of his life for nearly 50 years. in 2002, he joined the front office of the memphis grizzlies and went on to win the nba’s executive of the year award in 2004. following another brief retirement after leaving the grizzlies in 2007, west joined the golden state warriors in 2011 as an executive and oversaw the team’s nba titles in 2015 and 2017. he then joined the los angeles clippers as an executive in 2017. it was the clippers that announced west had passed away on wednesday morning with his wife karen by his side. in 2019, west was honored for his life’s achievements when he was presented with the presidential medal of freedom by then president donald trump. the presidential medal of freedom is the highest civilian award in the united states. west was married twice and has 5 children, all sons. one of his sons, ryan, worked in the lakers’ front office for 10 years before leaving to join his father with the los angeles clippers. another of his children, jonnie, is director of basketball operations for the golden state warriors and is married to former professional golfer michelle wie west. © 2025 cable news network. a warner bros. discovery company. all rights reserved. cnn sans ™ & © 2016 cable news network.

this is an accepted version of this page as executive: jerry alan west[b] (may 28, 1938   june 12, 2024) was an american basketball player and executive. he played professionally for the los angeles lakers of the national basketball association (nba), and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. his nicknames included "the logo", in reference to his silhouette being the basis for the nba logo; "mr. clutch", for his ability to make a big play in a key situation such as his famous buzzer beating 60 foot shot that tied game 3 of the 1970 nba finals against the new york knicks; "mr. outside", in reference to his perimeter play with the lakers and "zeke from cabin creek" for the creek near his birthplace of chelyan, west virginia. west played college basketball for the west virginia mountaineers, leading them to the 1959 ncaa championship game. he earned the ncaa final four most outstanding player honor despite the loss in the championship. he then embarked on a 14 year career with the lakers and was the co captain of the 1960 u.s. olympic gold medal team, a squad that was inducted as a unit into the naismith memorial basketball hall of fame in 2010. west's nba career was highly successful. playing the guard position, he was voted 12 times into the all nba first and second teams, was elected into the nba all star team 14 times and was chosen as the all star mvp in 1972, the same year that he won the only title of his career. west holds the nba record for the highest points per game average in a playoff series with 46.3. he was also a member of the first five nba all defensive teams (one second, followed by four firsts), which were introduced when he was 32 years old. having played in nine nba finals, he is also the only player in nba history to be named finals mvp despite being on the losing team (1969). in 1980, west was inducted into the hall of fame and named to the nba 35th anniversary team.[6] west was named as one of the 50 greatest players in nba history in 1996, and to the nba 75th anniversary team in 2021.[7][8] after his playing career ended, west took over as head coach of the lakers for three years. he led los angeles into the playoffs each year and earned a western conference finals berth once. working as a player scout for three years, west was named general manager of the lakers before the 1982 83 nba season. under his reign, los angeles won six championship rings. in 2002, west became general manager of the memphis grizzlies and helped the franchise win their first ever playoff berths. for his contributions, west won the nba executive of the year award twice: once as a lakers manager (1995) and then as a grizzlies manager (2004). he won two more nba titles as a consultant with the golden state warriors (2015, 2017). in 2024, he was inducted to the hall of fame as a contributor to the sport as an executive and consultant.[9] west was born into a poor household in chelyan, west virginia, on may 28, 1938.[3][10] he was the fifth of six children of cecil sue west, a housewife, and howard stewart west, a coal mine electrician.[11] west's father physically abused him, and west has stated that for a time he slept with a loaded shotgun under his bed out of fear that he might have to kill his father in self defense.[12] west was an outgoing and aggressive child in his youth. in 1951, his older brother, david, was killed in action in the korean war, and the grief turned him into a shy and introverted boy.[10][13] growing up, west spent his days hunting and fishing, but his main activity was shooting at a basketball hoop that a neighbor had nailed to his storage shed. west spent days shooting baskets from every possible angle, ignoring mud and snow in the backyard, as well as his mother's whippings when he came home hours late for dinner.[10] west attended east bank high school in east bank, west virginia, from 1952 to 1956. during his first year, west was benched by his coach duke shaver due to his lack of height. shaver emphasized the importance of conditioning and defense, which were lessons that the teenager appreciated.[14] west soon became the captain of the freshman team, and during the summer of 1953 he grew to 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m).[10] west eventually became the team's starting small forward, and he quickly established himself as one of the finest west virginia high school players of his generation. he represented east bank high school at a high level on and off the court, attending the 1955 session of mountaineer boys state[15][16] and was named all state from 1953 to 1956, then all american in 1956 when he was west virginia player of the year, becoming the state's first high school player to score more than 900 points in a season, with an average of 32.2 points per game. west's mid range jump shot became his trademark and he often used it to score while under pressure from opposing defenses.[10] west led east bank to a state championship on march 24 that year, prompting east bank high school to change its name to "west bank high school" every year on march 24 in honor of their basketball prodigy. this practice remained in effect until the school closed in 1999.[17] west graduated from east bank high school in 1956, and more than 60 universities showed interest in him. he eventually chose to stay in his home state and attend west virginia university (wvu), located in morgantown.[18] in his freshman year (1956 57), west was a member of the wvu freshman squad that achieved a perfect record of 17 straight wins over the course of the season;[18] other team members included jay jacobs and willie akers.[19] in his first varsity year under head coach fred schaus, west scored 17.8 points per game and averaged 11.1 rebounds; he also started in all 28 games while shooting 49.6% from the field and 73.2% from the free throw line.[20] these performances earned him a multitude of honors, among them an all american third team call up, first team all southern conference, southern conference tournament most valuable player award and first team honors, chuck taylor converse second team all american honors, and associated press and united press international third team all america honors.[21] the mountaineers went 26 2 that year, ending the season with a loss to manhattan college in postseason tournament play.[22] during his junior year (1958 59), west scored 26.6 points per game and grabbed 12.3 rebounds per game.[20] he tied the ncaa five game tournament record of 160 points (32 points per game) and led all scorers and rebounders in every west virginia game, including getting 28 points and 11 rebounds in a 71 70 loss to california in the final. west was named most outstanding player of that year's final four.[17] further awards were all america, southern conference tournament mvp and southern conference player of the year and athlete of the year.[21] he was also named to be a member of the u.s. pan american games basketball team that won the gold medal.[10] west demonstrated his tenacity for the game in a match against the kentucky wildcats. he broke his nose during an incident in the game, but he continued to play despite intense pain and having to breathe through his mouth. he scored 19 points in the second half, leading wvu to an upset victory.[17] in his final collegiate season (1959 60), west enjoyed several career highs, such as scoring 29.3 points per game, a 134 season assists, 16.5 rebounds per game, and a shooting average of 50.4% from the field, 76.6% from the free throw line.[20] he was honored again with several awards: a call up to the all america selection, and being voted southern conference mvp.[21] west's best performance was a game against virginia, in which he grabbed 16 rebounds and scored 40 points. moreover, during that final year, he had 30 double doubles and fifteen 30 point games.[23] in his collegiate career, west totaled 2,309 points and 1,240 rebounds. he averaged 24.8 points per game and 13.3 rebounds.[20] as of 2011, west holds 12 wvu all time records.[24] west and oscar robertson co captained the u.s. men's basketball team that won the gold medal at the 1960 summer olympics.[10] west made himself available for the 1960 nba draft, and he was drafted with the second overall pick by the minneapolis lakers, shortly before the team relocated to los angeles. west became the first draft pick ever of the relocated franchise.[25] his college coach, schaus, was also hired that same season to coach the lakers. he played west as a guard, in contrast to west's college days as a forward.[10] the lakers were captained by hall of fame forward elgin baylor, who was complemented by centers jim krebs and ray felix; forwards rudy larusso and tom hawkins; and guards rod hundley (from west virginia, like west), frank selvy, and bobby leonard.[26] this team perennially had strong forwards and guards, but was constantly weak at center, giving them a disadvantage against the boston celtics with their hall of fame center, bill russell.[27] initially, west felt odd in his new environment. he was a loner. his high pitched voice earned him the nickname "tweety bird", and he spoke with such a thick appalachian accent that his teammates also referred to him as "zeke from cabin creek" (his nickname acknowledged his country roots, and his accent was so thick that he squeaked his nickname sheepishly   "zeek from cab'n creek").[28] he soon impressed his colleagues with his defensive hustle, with his vertical jump he could reach up 16 inches above the rim when he went up and with his work ethic, spending countless extra hours working on his game.[28] on the floor, west scored 17.6 points, grabbed 7.7 rebounds and dished 4.2 assists per game. west won schaus's trust and, alternating with hundley, selvy, and leonard, played 35 minutes per game and established himself as the lakers' second scoring option.[20] the nba commented that the lakers now had a potent one two punch with "mr. inside" (the low post scorer, baylor) and "mr. outside" (the long distance shooter, west).[10] these performances soon earned west his first of fourteen nba all star game call ups.[20] west helped the lakers improve from their previous 25 win season to 36 wins as they reached the 1961 nba playoffs. they needed all five games to put away the detroit pistons but then lost to the st. louis hawks in seven games, losing the final game 105 103.[29] in the 1961 62 nba season, baylor was called up by the u.s. army reserves and could play only 48 games.[28] west took over the role of team leader and established himself as the main lakers scorer, averaging 30.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game, winning all nba first team honors.[20] on january 17, 1962, west scored a career high 63 points in a 129 121 win over the new york knicks.[30] west became known especially for hitting important late game shots, and lakers' announcer chick hearn named him "mr. clutch" a handle which stuck with west for his entire career.[28] the lakers won 54 regular season games and secured a first round bye in the 1962 nba playoffs. they beat the pistons four games to two to advance to the 1962 nba finals against the boston celtics. the teams split the first two games, and at the end of game 3 in los angeles, west tied the game at 115. the celtics' sam jones inbounded the ball at half court with three seconds left. west stole the ball, raced up court, and converted a running layup as the buzzer sounded.[31] the celtics tied the series in game 6 at three games apiece, and the teams headed to boston for game 7. for most of the game, the lakers trailed, but west and frank selvy hit several clutch baskets and tied the game at 100. selvy then missed an open 8 foot shot which would have won the lakers their first title. baylor's tip in attempt was thwarted by sam jones.[31] in overtime, jones scored several clutch baskets to ensure a 110 107 win for the celtics. the 1962 nba finals would serve as the beginning of the greatest rivalry in nba history.[31] in the 1962 63 nba season, baylor was back full time. west averaged 27.8 points, 7 rebounds and 5.6 assists and was again nba all star and all nba first team.[20] he played only 55 regular season games, missing the last seven weeks due to a hamstring injury.[27] again, the lakers reached the finals, and again, they battled the celtics. with west not yet in shape, baylor and the lakers fell back 3 2; then they succumbed in game 6 in front of their home crowd with a 112 109 loss. as the game ended, veteran celtics playmaker bob cousy threw the ball high into the rafters of the l.a. sports arena.[32] in the following 1963 64 nba season, west became the lakers' scoring leader for the first time. his 28.7 points per game eclipsed the 25.4 by baylor, who stated that he suffered from knee problems.[33] the lakers struggled during the entire season, winning only 42 games, and were beaten by the hawks in five games during the first round of the 1964 nba playoffs.[34] in the following 1964 65 nba season, west averaged 31.0 points (at the time, a career high), only surpassed by perennial scoring champion wilt chamberlain.[20] after ending the regular season with 49 wins, l.a. played the baltimore bullets in the first round of the 1965 nba playoffs, but then team captain baylor suffered a career threatening knee injury.[33] west spectacularly took over baylor's leading role, as he scored 49 points and willed the shocked lakers to the win. in game 2, baltimore was unable to stop the lakers guard, who scored 52 points, nearly half of l.a.'s total, in the 118 115 win.[35] the bullets took their two home games, despite west scoring 44 and 48 points respectively, but in the decisive game 5 in l.a., the guard helped beat the bullets with 42 points in a close 117 115 win. west averaged 46.3 points per game, a figure that is still an nba record.[36] in the 1965 nba finals, the celtics easily beat the short handed lakers, 4 1. in game 1, which boston easily won, defensive celtics guard k. c. jones held west to only 26 points, and in game 2, west scored 45 points, but boston still won 129 123.[37] in game 3, west scored 49 points, and l.a. finally won a game, but in games 4 and 5, the lakers were beaten by double digits; in the last quarter of game 5, west missed 14 of 15 shots and could not prevent yet another celtics win.[37] still, the lakers guard finished the playoffs with 40.6 points per game.[27] in the 1965 66 nba season, west averaged a career best 31.3 points, along with 7.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. he made an nba record 840 free throws, and earned yet another pair of all star team and all nba first team nominations.[20] winning 45 games, the lakers beat the st. louis hawks in a close seven game series, and yet again met the boston celtics in the 1966 nba finals. west was assisted by baylor, who was a self estimated "75 percent" of his pre injury self,[38] the two long standing rivals split the first six games, with west's usual scoring dominance countered by celtics forward john havlicek, whose size and speed created serious mismatch problems for the lakers.[38] in game 7, west and baylor shot a combined three of 18 in the first half, and the lakers fell far behind; l.a. willed themselves back to a close 95 93 with four seconds left, but the celtics ran the clock out and the lakers were denied yet again.[38] the 1966 67 nba season saw west playing only 66 regular season games due to injury;[27] his averages fell slightly to 28 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.[20] the lakers had a disappointing season, winning only 36 games and getting swept by the san francisco warriors in the first round of the 1967 nba playoffs.[39] veteran coach fred schaus retired, and butch van breda kolff took over; under his reign, the lakers won 52 games in the 1967 68 nba season in their first season in the forum.[40] the 52 wins were accumulated despite west playing only 51 regular season games due to injury[27] and scoring 26.3 points, the lowest average since his rookie year: after being a first teamer for six times en bloc, he only made the all nba second team.[20] in the 1968 nba playoffs, the lakers beat the chicago bulls and the warriors to set up yet another lakers celtics nba finals; it was considered a match of size versus speed, as the lakers had nobody to guard celtics coach/center bill russell or forward john havlicek close to the basket, but the celtics in return had difficulties guarding prolific l.a. outside shooters baylor, west and fellow guard gail goodrich.[41] in game 1, west only hit seven of 24 shots, and the lakers lost 107 101, but l.a. evened out the series at two games each. but west, who had scored 38 points in a game 4 win, had sprained his ankle, and did not play at full strength the rest of the series.[41] in game 5, an injured west scored 35 points, but boston won by 3 points. in game 6, havlicek shredded the lakers with 40 points, and after yet another finals loss to boston, west commented that the lakers lost two games they should have won: "we gave them the first game, and we gave them the fifth. but i take nothing from them... they're all that way on the celtics, and you can't teach it."[41] on july 9, 1968, the lakers made a trade that brought reigning nba most valuable player wilt chamberlain of the philadelphia 76ers to los angeles at the beginning of the 1968 69 nba season. to get the center, the lakers traded west's backcourt partner archie clark, starting center darrall imhoff and backup forward jerry chambers to philadelphia.[42] coach van breda kolff was concerned about the drain at the guard positions after losing clark, and especially after losing goodrich in the expansion draft to the phoenix suns. he only had diminutive, defensively weak johnny egan left next to west.[42] while west himself got on well with his new teammate, chamberlain often argued with team captain elgin baylor and had a poor relationship with van breda kolff. van breda kolff pejoratively called chamberlain "the load", and later complained that chamberlain was egotistical, never respected him, too often slacked off in practice and focused too much on his statistics.[43] in return, the center blasted van breda kolff as "the dumbest and worst coach ever".[43] there was an altercation in which chamberlain was about to punch van breda kolff before baylor had intervened.[44] west was disturbed by locker room tension; used to playing on teams with good chemistry, his quality of play became erratic, and his scoring average of 25.9 points was his lowest since his rookie season. he made the second team of the inaugural all defensive team.[44] in the 1969 nba playoffs, the 55 win lakers defeated the atlanta hawks and the san francisco warriors, setting up the sixth finals series versus boston in eight years. before game 1, west privately complained to bill russell of exhaustion, but then the lakers guard scored 53 points on boston in a close two point win.[45] l.a. also took game 2, with west scoring 41 points.[46] in game 3, russell opted to double team west, and the guard's exhaustion began to show: west twice asked to be subbed for longer periods, and both times the lakers fell back by double digits and finally lost by six points.[45] game 4 saw celtics guard sam jones hit an off balance buzzer beater to tie the series,[46] but in game 5, the lakers struck back and won by 13 points. west   who scored 39 points and by far led all players in scoring during the entire series   lunged for a meaningless late game ball and seriously pulled his hamstring: it was immediately visible that the injury would not heal until the end of the series.[45] limping, he scored 26 points in game 6, but the celtics won 99 90 with a strong bill russell, who held chamberlain to only 8 points in the entire game.[46] in game 7, lakers owner jack kent cooke had put up thousands of balloons in the rafters of the forum in los angeles. this display of arrogance motivated the celtics and angered west.[42] the lakers trailed the entire game and were behind 91 76 after three quarters, but powered by a limping west, the lakers closed the gap to 103 102 with two minutes to go and had the ball. but west committed costly turnovers and l.a. lost the game 108 106 despite a triple double of 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists from west, who became the only recipient of the nba finals most valuable player award from the losing team.[46] after the loss west was seen as the ultimate tragic hero: after the game, bill russell held his hand, and john havlicek said: "i love you, jerry".[45] in the 1969 70 nba season under new coach joe mullaney, the lakers' season began with a shock when wilt chamberlain seriously injured his knee and missed practically the whole regular season.[47] as after baylor's injury years before, west stepped into the void, leading the nba in scoring average with 31.2 points per game, and averaging 4.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game, earning him his first of four all defensive first team votes and another all nba first team berth after two second team years.[20] the lakers won 46 games, and in the 1970 nba playoffs, they narrowly beat the phoenix suns in seven games and swept the hawks in four, setting up the first nba finals between the lakers and the rugged new york knicks, led by hall of famers, such as willis reed, dave debusschere, bill bradley, and walt frazier.[48] l.a. and n.y. split the first two games, with both games respectively decided by centers reed and the still hobbling chamberlain.[48] in game 3, debusschere hit a mid range jump shot with three seconds left to put the knicks ahead 102 100, and the lakers had no time outs left. chamberlain inbounded the ball to west, who raced past walt frazier and threw up a 60 foot shot. frazier later commented: "the man's crazy. he looks determined. he thinks it's going in!"[10] west incredibly connected, and this basket was later called one of the greatest moments ever by the nba.[49] as the three point line had not been introduced yet, the shot just tied the game. in overtime, west sprained his left hand and missed all five of his shots, and the knicks won 111 108.[17] in game 4, the guard scored 37 points and 18 assists, and the lakers won.[50] more frustration awaited west in game 5, when reed pulled his thigh muscle and seemed out for the series; instead of capitalizing on a double digit lead and reeling off an easy win, the lakers committed 19 second half turnovers, and the two main scorers chamberlain and west shot the ball only three and two times, respectively, in the entire second half and lost 107 100 in what was called one of the greatest comebacks in nba finals history.[48][50] after chamberlain scored 45 points and west 31 points plus 13 assists in a series equalizing 135 113 lakers win, the lakers seemed favorites prior to game 7. west had also injured his right hand and taken several manual injections,[48] and reed hobbled up court before game 7: the knicks center scored the first four points, and inspired his team to one of the most famous playoff upsets of all time.[51] with his injured hands, west still hit nine of his 19 shots, but was outplayed by walt frazier, who scored 36 points and 19 assists and was credited with several crucial steals on lakers guard dick garrett.[48][50] in the 1970 71 nba season, the lakers reacquired gail goodrich, who came back from the phoenix suns after playing for l.a. until 1968. at age 32, west averaged 26.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 9.5 assists,[20] and helped the lakers win 46 games and make the 1971 nba playoffs. after losing elgin baylor to an achilles tendon rupture that effectively ended his career, west himself injured his knee and was out for the season; the short handed lakers lost the western conference finals in five games to the championship bound milwaukee bucks, who were led by freshly crowned most valuable player lew alcindor (later known as kareem abdul jabbar) and veteran hall of fame guard oscar robertson.[52] before the 1971 72 nba season, west was smarting from his frequent injuries and losses and considered retirement.[10] the lakers hired former celtics star guard and future hall of fame coach bill sharman as head coach. although injured captain elgin baylor ended his career, the lakers had a season for the ages. the team was powered by sharman's emphasis on tough defense and fast break offense, and l.a. embarked on an unprecedented 33 game win streak, en route to a then record 69 wins in the regular season.[53] west himself contributed with 25.8 points and led the league with a career high 9.7 assists per game. he was named all star, all nba and all defense first teamer and voted 1972 all star game mvp.[20] prior to the laker's 33 game team win streak, in which west started every game, the lakers played 5 games in which west was injured and did not play. the lakers lost 3 of the 5 games. prior to that, west started 8 straight games in which the lakers won each game. as a result, jerry west had a personal win streak of 41 games in which he started. this is the longest such personal win streak in major american professional sports history.[54] in the postseason, the lakers defeated the chicago bulls in a four game sweep,[55] then went on to face the milwaukee bucks, and defeated them in six games. in the 1972 nba finals, the lakers again met the new york knicks. although west suffered a terrible shooting slump during games 1 and 2, the lakers tied the series at one win each, and in game 3, he scored 21 points and helped l.a. win game 3. in this game, he reached 4,002 playoff points, which set an all time nba record.[56] after winning game 4 due to a superb outing from wilt chamberlain, west scored 23 points and dished out 9 assists in game 5, helping the lakers to win the game and the nba championship. the championship was west's first ever nba title.[56][57] west conceded that he had played a terrible series and credited the team for the success. years later he said "i played terrible basketball in the finals, and we won... it was particularly frustrating because i was playing so poorly that the team overcame me. maybe that's what a team is all about."[53] having vanquished this long time bane, west entered his 13th nba year. in the 1972 73 nba season, the main scoring role was taken by goodrich, and west was now a playmaker instead of a scorer. he averaged 22.8 points, but also averaged 8.8 assists per game, and again was a first teamer in the all star, all nba, and all defense teams.[20] the lakers won 60 games and reached the 1973 nba finals against the new york knicks. in game 1 west scored 24 points before fouling out with three minutes left and l.a. won game 1 115 112.[58] the knicks took games 2 and 3, and west strained both of his hamstrings: in game 4, the shorthanded lakers were no match for new york, and in game 5, the valiant, but injured west and hairston had miserable games, and despite chamberlain scoring 23 points and grabbing 21 rebounds, the lakers lost 102 93 and the series.[59][60] the 1973 74 nba season was to be west's last as a player. now 36 years old, the veteran guard averaged 20.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game.[20] in two newly introduced statistics, steals and blocks, he was credited with 2.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. despite playing only 31 games due to a strained groin,[10] west was still regarded as an elite guard, earning another call up into his final all star game.[20] without chamberlain, who had ended his nba career, the lakers won 47 games and lost in five games to kareem abdul jabbar and the milwaukee bucks. west took on the role of team captain for the first time after deferring to chamberlain in 1972. however, in his last season west only played 14 minutes in the playoffs, due to rumored contractual frustration with jack kent cooke and groin injuries.[61] after this loss, west retired due to contract disagreements with cooke, and filed a suit for unpaid back wages.[62] west wanted to renegotiate his contract and keep playing. he said cooke "basically told my agent to go to hell. i felt i was deceived. when you feel that you're deceived you don't want any part of the organization that deceived you. i could've played another very good year. every athlete says that. but i could've, and i knew i could've. but i could never have played for the lakers again, and i wasn't going to play for anybody else."[63] at the time of his departure, west had scored more points than any other laker in franchise history.[27] lakers owner jack kent cooke was known for a keen eye identifying leadership and teaching qualities (he also gave hall of famers sparky anderson and joe gibbs their first managerial/head coaching positions),[64] and asked west to coach and participate in player personnel decisions.[65] in the 1976 77 season, west became coach of the los angeles lakers. in three years, he led the lakers and star center kareem abdul jabbar to a 145 101 record, making the playoffs all three seasons and reaching the western conference finals in 1977.[66] after his coaching stint, west worked as a scout for three years before becoming general manager of the lakers before the 1982 83 season,[67] when he succeeded bill sharman.[68] west helped to build the great 1980s lakers dynasty, also known as showtime, which brought five championship rings (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988) to los angeles.[67] those championship winning lakers were coached by pat riley, and featured superstar players magic johnson, kareem abdul jabbar and james worthy. after a slump in the early 1990s, west rebuilt the team of coach del harris around center vlade divac, forward cedric ceballos, and guard nick van exel, which won 48 games, and went to the western conference semifinals. in 1995, west received his first executive of the year award for his role in turning the lakers around.[69] west continued to propel the lakers to championship contender status by trading divac for the draft rights to kobe bryant (1996), by signing free agent center shaquille o'neal (also in 1996), and by signing six time nba champion phil jackson as a coach (1999). west departed from the lakers at the end of the 1999 2000 season after he won his sixth championship as a lakers' executive. he laid down the foundation of the lakers' three peat, which saw l.a. win three nba titles from 2000 to 2002.[70][71] in 2002, west became the general manager of the memphis grizzlies. he explained his decision with the desire for exploring something new: "after being a part of the lakers success for so many years, i have always wondered how it would be to build a winning franchise that has not experienced much success. i want to help make a difference."[72] west's memphis stint was not as spectacular as his los angeles stint, but he turned a franchise which was about to be sold into a reliable playoffs team, making few trades but getting the maximum from the players he had available (such as pau gasol, james posey, and jason williams) and signing coach hubie brown, who became coach of the year in 2004.[73] west himself won his second nba executive of the year award in the same year.[69] in 2007, west retired as a grizzlies general manager and turned over managing duties to chris wallace.[73] on may 19, 2011, west joined the golden state warriors as an executive board member, reporting directly to new owners joe lacob and peter guber.[74][75] this role also came with an undisclosed minority ownership stake in the team.[76][77] in 2015, the warriors won their first championship in 40 years;[78] the championship was the seventh earned by west while serving as a team executive. he earned his eighth in the 2016 17 season.[79] on june 1, 2017, west publicly stated that he would have been interested in returning to the lakers, but nothing materialized as they hired magic johnson and rob pelinka to run the team.[80][81] on june 14, west announced that he would go to the los angeles clippers as an executive board member and consultant. clippers coach, doc rivers, floated the idea of west joining the organization during the 2016 season. west referred to leaving golden state as "one of the saddest days of his life", but was excited to find a new challenge.[82][83][84] on december 17, 2020, it was reported that west and the los angeles clippers were under investigation by the nba following a lawsuit filed by john wilkes against the clippers over the recruitment of kawhi leonard to the team.[85] west was an all around combo guard who could take the playmaking roles of a point guard and score like a shooting guard, while being equally strong on offense and defense.[10] he had a jump shot with a release the nba lauded as "lightning quick", and was known for making baskets late in the game, earning him the nickname "mr. clutch".[10] having played forward early in his career, he was also a capable rebounder, and gifted with long arms, quick hands, and strong defensive instincts. he was also described as one of the best ballhawks, man to man defenders and shot blockers among nba guards:[28] when the all defensive teams were introduced in 1969, he made every one of them until his career ended in 1974.[20] "he stole more than anybody, although they didn't keep records on it then", said sharman.[87] contemporaries were most impressed by his work ethic, practicing, shooting and, rarely satisfying himself.[28] west's all round game and attitude is maybe best expressed in his statistically most spectacular game: he once was credited with 44 points (16 of 17 shots from the field, 12 of 12 free throw attempts) with 12 rebounds, 12 assists, and (unofficially counted) 10 blocked shots, thus scoring a non official ultra rare quadruple double.[10] he commented: "defensively, from a team standpoint, i didn't feel i played very well. very rarely was i satisfied with how i played."[10] west ended his playing career with 14 all star, 12 all nba team and five all defensive team selections, and scored 25,192 points, 6,238 assists and 5,366 rebounds in 932 games, translating to an average of 27.0 points, 6.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game.[20] among retired players, only michael jordan, elgin baylor and wilt chamberlain surpass his 27.0 points per game average.[10] he led the lakers in scoring in seven seasons,[25] and is the league leader in career scoring in the nba finals (1,679).[68] in 1979, west was elected into the naismith memorial basketball hall of fame, and the lakers retired his no. 44 jersey in 1983.[25] he was also elected to the basketball hall of fame as a member of the 1960 u.s. olympic team in 2010 and as a contributor in 2024; his induction as a contributor honors his tenure as a general manager and consultant.[9] west was the first person to be enshrined in the basketball hall of fame as a player and a contributor.[88] the nba logo, which was designed in 1969, incorporates a silhouette based on a photograph of west, according to its designer alan siegel.[89] in march 2008, espn voted west the third greatest shooting guard of all time.[90] in 2022, to commemorate the nba's 75th anniversary the athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named west as the 14th greatest player in nba history.[91] as a coach, west led the lakers into three consecutive playoff campaigns, and then went on to win eight nba championships as an executive and consultant.[68] west built the 1980s lakers dynasty under coach pat riley and players magic johnson, kareem abdul jabbar, and james worthy and the 2000s under coach phil jackson and players shaquille o'neal and kobe bryant. he was a member of golden state's front office when the warriors won titles in 2015 and 2017.[10][79] in the summer of 2000, the city of morgantown, west virginia, and west virginia governor cecil underwood, dedicated the road outside of the west virginia university coliseum, "jerry west boulevard". the same road is shared on the south end of morgantown with don knotts boulevard, in honor of another wvu alumnus.[92] also, on november 26, 2005, his number 44 became the first basketball number to be retired by west virginia university and on february 17, 2007, a bronze statue created by sculptor jamie lester was installed outside of the wvu coliseum.[93] on february 17, 2011, a statue of west was unveiled outside staples center at the star plaza in los angeles, california.[94] on september 5, 2019, west received the presidential medal of freedom from president donald trump in recognition of his contributions to the sport.[95] west married his college sweetheart martha jane kane in april 1960 in morgantown;[96] they divorced in 1976.[17] they had three sons: david, mark, and michael.[72] jerry married his second wife, kristine "karen" bua, in 1978.[97] they had two sons, ryan and jonnie.[17][72] ryan is an executive with the detroit pistons.[98] jonnie played guard for west's college team, the west virginia mountaineers, is director of basketball operations for the golden state warriors, and married professional golfer michelle wie in 2019.[99][100] west was often described as an introverted and nervous character, but he also drew the highest praise for his uncompromising work ethic. regarding his shyness, wvu roommate jody gardner testified that west never dated in his entire freshman year, and lakers coach fred schaus once recalled two weeks when his guard never said a word.[101] apart from being shy, west was always restless: schaus described him as a "bundle of nerves", celtics contemporary bob cousy said west "was always on the move", and fellow laker and mountaineer rod hundley testified that during bar visits, west would quickly squirm and demand to go elsewhere before everybody else had settled.[102] his first wife martha kane recalled that her husband often had difficulties opening up to her. after a big loss, the wests would drive home and she would try to console him, but west would say "get out" at the home porch and drive away an experience that "killed" her as a wife.[103] early in his career, west's west virginian roots made him a target for some mild jeering. he spoke with a high pitched voice that became even shriller when he became excited so that lakers captain elgin baylor dubbed west "tweety bird".[28] his appalachian accent was so thick that one coach interrupted him and asked him to speak english.[28] baylor once commented: "rumors are safe with you, tweety bird. you pass them on, but nobody can understand you."[101] west was also regarded for his extreme mental toughness and his exemplary work ethic. the nba said he had "obsessive perfectionism, unabashed confidence, and an uncompromising will to win... a level of intensity so high it could melt lead".[10] lakers broadcaster chick hearn once said: "he took a loss harder than any player i've ever known. he would sit by himself and stare into space. a loss just ripped his guts out."[10] even before his sole championship in 1972, the lakers held a "jerry west night", and eleven time nba champion and perennial rival bill russell appeared and said: "jerry, you are, in every sense of the word, truly a champion... if i could have one wish granted, it would be that you would always be happy."[104] in 2011, west and bestselling author jonathan coleman wrote a memoir entitled west by west: my charmed, tormented life. the book had tremendous critical acclaim and became an instant new york times bestseller. during an interview on hbo's real sports with bryant gumbel, west revealed that as a child he was the victim of physical abuse from his father and has suffered from depression ever since.[105][106] west was portrayed in the 2022 hbo docudrama series winning time: the rise of the lakers dynasty as a temperamental, foul mouthed executive, prone to angry outbursts and mood swings. on april 19, 2022, west demanded a retraction from the network within two weeks for the "cruel" and "deliberately false" depiction, as played by actor jason clarke.[107] west died in los angeles on june 12, 2024, at the age of 86.[71][108] a moment of silence was held in west's memory before game 3 of the ongoing nba finals between the celtics and the dallas mavericks that night.[109] # denotes interim head coach *ruled ineligible after tournament

west was one of the greatest players in nba history, redefining the modern day shooting guard position in basketball. jerry west, an iconic 1960s star guard for the los angeles lakers who inspired the nba logo, died wednesday at age 86, the los angeles clippers announced. west played for the lakers from 1960 through 1974, winning his only nba title in 1972, and was co captain on the 1960 rome olympic us basketball gold medal squad. in later years, west served as an executive on several nba clubs, most recently the clippers. with impressive speed and quickness and a deft shooting touch, west was nicknamed “mr clutch” for his skilled shot making under pressure. in the 1969 nba finals against the archrival boston celtics, he received the most valuable player award even though the celtics beat the lakers for the title. west was a 14 time nba all star and the league scoring champion in 1970. his jersey number, 44, was retired by the lakers and he was inducted into the basketball hall of fame in 1980. in 1969, the nba created its current logo, which was the silhouette of west dribbling a basketball, an image inspired by a photograph of west taken during a game. for his career, west averaged 27.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists a game. west, who coached the lakers from 1976 through 1979, would capture eight titles as an nba executive, five with the lakers in the 1980s “showtime” era with magic johnson and kareem abdul jabbar. he also was an executive for nba champions with the lakers in 2000 and golden state in 2015 and 2017, before leaving to join the clippers. in 2022, west was recognised as a member of the nba 75th anniversary team during the 71st nba all star game in cleveland, ohio. from a basketball standpoint, west will be remembered as the player who redefined the talent standard for the original two guard   or shooting guard   for the modern game. the originality of his game and the beauty of his outside jump shot served as the prototype for shooting guards for decades to come, with nba legends such as michael jordan and kobe bryant citing west’s stylistic influence in their own games. follow al jazeera english:

david stern went to his grave without admitting that jerry west was the inspiration for the nba logo. west died wednesday at 86 knowing with certainty that he was “the logo”   and he wasn’t really happy about it, especially the capital letters. stern spent 30 years as the nba’s longest serving commissioner before handing the title to his longtime lieutenant adam silver in 2014. he is credited with shepherding the league through turbulent times and growing it into the global powerhouse it is today. yet he refused to acknowledge that west was the one, the logo, the iconic silhouette developed in 1969 when west was at the peak of his 14 year hall of fame career with the lakers. stern’s reason for staying mum is unclear because offering an explanation for something he denied in the first place would have defied logic. even after the designer of the logo, alan siegel, told the times’ jerry crowe in 2010 that “it’s jerry west,” stern wouldn’t relent. siegel was a brand identity consultant hired by then nba commissioner j. walter kennedy to create a logo that mirrored the one siegel supervised a year earlier for major league baseball’s centennial. obituaries jerry west took the lakers to stunning heights season after season as a player, coach and general manager. the late sportswriter and broadcaster dick schaap was siegel’s friend and gave him access to the photo archives at sport magazine. “i found this picture of jerry west dribbling down the court,” siegel said. “and, of course, growing up in new york and my father having season tickets for college and pro games at madison square garden, i’d seen west play a lot.” siegel came up with nearly 50 designs, several inspired by the shot of west dribbling taken by wen roberts. kennedy chose the derivative of the baseball logo with its all american red, white and blue colors. “and in those days, it was top down,” siegel said. “[kennedy] made the decision. there was no research. there was no discussion. he said, ‘we’re doing this.’” kennedy was succeeded by larry o’brien, whose name is familiar mainly because the nba championship trophy is named after him. stern came next, and left others to theorize why he wouldn’t state the obvious when it came to west and the logo. lakers lebron james and michael jordan join others in the nba saluting the late jerry west, who became a star as a lakers player and later transformed the league as an executive. was it because west was white in a league dominated by black players? was it because west might request royalties (the most he was paid as a player was $90,000)? siegel, for his part, had a theory. “they want to institutionalize it rather than individualize it,” he said. “it’s become such a ubiquitous, classic symbol and focal point of their identity and their licensing program that they don’t necessarily want to identify it with one player.” west more than once expressed that he’d have preferred it that way. “i wish that it had never gotten out that i’m the logo,” he told espn’s “the jump” eight years ago. “i really do. i’ve said it more than once, and it’s flattering if that’s me   and i know it is me   but it is flattering. lakers hbo’s “winning time” captures the lakers’ showtime spirit, but the show gets one thing very wrong: its over the top portrayal of legend jerry west. “but to me, i played in a time when they first started to try to market the league. there were five people that they were going to consider, and i didn’t find out about it until [kennedy] told me about it. ... again, it’s flattering, but if i were the nba, i would be embarrassed about it. i really would.” silver, who is in his 11th season as commissioner, has come the closest to acknowledging that west, indeed, is the logo. “while it’s never been officially declared that the logo is jerry west,” he said in 2021, “it sure looks a lot like him.” go beyond the scoreboard get the latest on l.a.'s teams in the daily sports report newsletter. you may occasionally receive promotional content from the los angeles times. follow us steve henson is a breaking news and enterprise reporter at the los angeles times. he previously served as an editor and reporter in the sports department. henson was a leader in digital only newsrooms from 2007 19 as a senior editor and columnist at yahoo sports and as senior editor at the usa today sports media group. this is his second stint at the times, having covered the dodgers and ucla as well as doing enterprise, investigative and features writing from 1985 2007. henson was awarded first place in sports features in 2023 and in 2021 by the l.a. press club. he has been honored several times by apse   most recently in 2023 and 2021   and also by the california news publishers assn., the football writers assn. of america and u.s. basketball writers assn. california california california california lakers lakers sports ucla sports follow us more from the l.a. times

supported by one of the world’s greatest basketball players, he thought of himself as a loser. by sam dolnick después de décadas en las que la liga evitó el tema, el comisionado adam silver ha admitido lo que la mayoría de la gente ya sabía: el icónico logo está basado en una foto de la estrella de los lakers. by benjamin hoffman after decades of the league having avoided the issue, commissioner adam silver said what most people knew all along: it is jerry west in the league’s iconic logo. by benjamin hoffman he was a sharpshooting, high scoring hall of fame guard for the lakers and later an executive with the team. his image became the n.b.a.’s logo. by bruce weber the entertainment genre of historical drama is flourishing   and riddled with inaccuracies. the untrue parts are leading to more public spats and lawsuits. by jeremy w. peters and nicole sperling russell showed as much love and respect to younger players as they showed to him. some, like charles barkley, referred to him simply as “mr. russell.” by tania ganguli prestige shows like “winning time” love to dramatize the real people at the heart of recent ish events. it doesn’t always go well. by elizabeth nelson west, the former lakers icon and general manager, said the losses of bryant and his friend elgin baylor, who died last year, have made him more introspective. by tania ganguli the awards to two white stars of a bygone   and far less racially diverse   basketball era are notable in light of mr. trump’s hostile relations with some of today’s n.b.a. stars. by michael crowley and kevin draper for his last act, can the n.b.a. legend have a hand in fixing the clippers once and for all? by marc stein

jerry west, the high scoring hall of famer whose silhouette is used for the nba logo, died wednesday morning, the nba announced. he was 86. west left his mark on the nba as a player, coach and team executive after entering the league in 1960. “jerry west was a basketball genius and a defining figure in our league for more than 60 years," nba commissioner adam silver said in a statement. "he distinguished himself not only as an nba champion and an all star in all 14 of his playing seasons, but also as a consummate competitor who embraced the biggest moments. he was the league’s first finals mvp and made rising to the occasion his signature quality, earning him the nickname ‘mr. clutch’." known for his great jump shot, west was consistently one of the top scorers in the league every season he played. he led the nba in 1969 with a 31.2 points per game average. he is fourth among retired players with a 27.03 career scoring average, behind michael jordan, wilt chamberlain and elgin baylor. but it was in the playoffs where west seemed to play his best. four times, he averaged more than 30 points per game in the postseason, his best being in 1965 when he averaged 40.6. he still holds the record for highest scoring average for a series when he scored 46.3 points per game against the baltimore bullets in the western division finals. remembering those we lost: celebrity deaths 2024 as good as he was in the playoffs, those also were the times of his biggest frustrations. west's lakers played in the nba finals nine times, but won just once, in 1972 against the new york knicks. they fell six times to the boston celtics in the 1960s, with three of those losses in seven games. probably the most frustrating was the loss to the celtics in 1969. the lakers took a 3 2 lead in the series and lost game 7 at home. west had 42 points in the final game and became the only player to ever win finals mvp for a losing team. after the game, celtics general manager red auerbach said, "i want to say that jerry west was absolutely fantastic. that was one of the greatest exhibitions i ever saw in my life." west's frustrations over those losses never went away. after the cleveland cavaliers lost to the golden state warriors in game 1 of the 2016 nba finals, west found himself defending lebron james, who at the time had lost four of the six finals in which he had played. "he carried teams on his shoulders. they’ve been in the finals six straight times. how many times have they been the favorite? none. zero, ok? grossly unfair to him," west told reporters in a response that seemed to be also aimed at defending his own record. “it’s hard for me to believe that someone doesn’t recognize his greatness. it’s hard for me to believe. this guy does everything. he’s like a swiss army knife. he does everything, and he’s competitive as hell and frankly i wish people would leave him alone.” the one title west did win almost didn't happen for him. after years of battling through various injuries and continued frustrations about not winning a title, west almost retired. he was glad he didn't. with chamberlain and guard gail goodrich, the lakers won an nba record 33 games in row during the regular season and finished with a record of 69 13, which stood until broken by the 1995 96 chicago bulls' 72 10 mark. even though he might have had one of the worst series of his career, the lakers won the finals against the knicks in five games, avenging a loss from the season before. after all those years, he finally won a championship on a team that had one of the best seasons in nba history. when west retired, he was the third leading scorer in league history. he stayed away from the game for two years before coming back as the lakers coach in 1976. in his three years, west's teams were 145 101 and in his first season, the lakers won the pacific division and went to the playoffs for the first time since he retired. he became the lakers general manager in 1982, a job he held until 2002. during that time, the lakers won eight championships. west took over the memphis grizzlies in 2002 and stayed there until 2007. he joined the golden state warriors as an adviser in 2011 and took a similar role with the los angeles clippers in 2017. west finished his playing career with 25,192 points, 6,238 assists and 5,366 rebounds. he made 14 all star appearances and 12 all nba teams. editorial note: spain was a former employee at usa today sports
supported by he was a sharpshooting, high scoring hall of fame guard for the lakers and later an executive with the team. his image became the n.b.a.’s logo. by bruce weber jerry west, who emerged from west virginia coal country to become one of basketball’s greatest players, a signature figure in the history of the los angeles lakers and a literal icon of the sport   his is the silhouette on the logo of the national basketball association   died on wednesday. he was 86. the los angeles clippers announced his death but provided no other details. west was a consultant for the team in recent years. for four decades, first as a player and later as a scout, a coach and an executive, west played a formidable role in the evolution of the n.b.a. in general and the lakers in particular, beginning in 1960, when the team moved from minneapolis to los angeles and he was its first draft choice. he won championships with several generations of laker teams and laker stars and was an all star in each of his 14 seasons. but except for his longtime teammate, the great forward elgin baylor, who retired without a championship, there may have never been a greater player who suffered the persistent close but no cigar frustration that followed west for the bulk of his career on the court. during his tenure, the lakers buzzed almost perpetually around the championship, but west had the misfortune to play while the boston celtics, with bill russell at center, were at the height of their indomitability   they beat the lakers in the finals six times. it wasn’t until the lakers acquired their own giant, wilt chamberlain, that they triumphed, but even that took four seasons   and a seventh defeat in the finals, to the knicks in 1970   to accomplish.

 our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. jerry west (born may 28, 1938, cheylan, west virginia, u.s. died june 12, 2024) was an american basketball player, coach, and general manager who spent four noteworthy decades with the los angeles lakers of the national basketball association (nba). west is widely considered one of the sport’s greatest players and later was hugely influential as a coach and executive. perhaps the greatest testament to his enduring impact on basketball is the fact that a photo of west serves as the model for the ubiquitous red, white, and blue nba logo. a frail youth, west overcame his early physical shortcomings by putting in long hours practicing his shot and developing the quick release that would become his signature. he grew dramatically during the summer before his senior year and then led his high school to a state championship, drawing the attention of colleges nationwide. as a sharpshooting 6 foot 3 inch (1.91 meter) guard for west virginia university, west became the school’s all time leading scorer and rebounder, and he was twice named an all american (1959, 1960). west was drafted by the lakers with the second overall pick of the 1960 nba draft.