In
career that spans over six-and-a-half decades, this West Virginia native used
his all-around skills to become one of the greatest players on the professional
hardwood that earned him a place in Springfield, MA. He then went on to be one
of the greats in the NBA’s front office not just for the team he played for,
but in the “Bay Area,” the so-called “Little Brother” of “La La Land” and in “Music
City.” He was a champion both on the hardwood and as an executive and his
literally the logo of “The Association,” and has the best nickname in
professional sports that he lived up to both on the hardwood and in his front
office posts: “Mr. Clutch.” This legend that was significant part of the National
Basketball Association (NBA) left us today.
Jerry
West, the first significant player in the history of basketball in Los Angeles,
CA first on the hardwood for the Lakers and then as an executive for the “Purple
& Gold,” the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, and Memphis Grizzlies
passed away on Wednesday. He was 86 years old.
“Jerry’s
four decades with the Lakers also included a successful stint as a head coach
and a remarkable run in the front office that cemented his reputation as one of
the greatest executives in sports history,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said
in a statement about the passing of Mr. West.
“He
helped build eight championship teams during his tenure in the NBA-a legacy of
achievement that mirrors his on-court excellence. And he will be enshrined this
October in the Nasmith 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 the
many years about basketball and life. On behalf of the NBA, we send our deepest
condolences to Jerry’s wife, Karen, his family, and many friends in the NBA
community.”
In a statement
by the Lakers following the passing of West, “Jerry West is forever a basketball
icon. He will always be a Laker legend.”
Mr.
West is survived by his two sons, Ryan and Jonnie, and his widow, Karen, who he
married in 1978. He is also survived by David, Mark, and Michael, his three
sons from his first marriage to Martha Jane Kane (1960).
Drafted
No. 2 overall out of the University of West Virginia in 1960 by the then Minneapolis
Lakers shortly before the team moved to L.A. where he played for 14 seasons
(1960-74) then becoming the team’s General Manager of the Lakers and the
Grizzlies (2002-07) and then a consultant for the Golden State Warriors
(2011-17) L.A.’s other team in the Clippers (2017-24). In his over six-plus
decades in the NBA, Mr. West earned nine NBA championship rings.
He
earned enshrinement in the Hall of Fame first as a player behind 14 All-Star
selections; 12 All-NBA selections (First Team 10 times-1962-67 & 1970-73;
Second Team twice-1968, 1969); and five All-Defensive Team selections behind
career averages of 27 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.8 rebounds.
The NBA
did not recognize steals as an official statistic until Mr. West’s final season
(1973-74), averaging 2.6 per contest.
The
league’s All-Defensive squads came into existence starting in 1968-69 season, five
years before Mr. West retired from playing. In his final five NBA seasons, Mr.
West made the First Team four times (1970-73) and the Second Team once (1969).
At the
time of his retirement following the 1973-74 season, Mr. West retired as the
Lakers all-time leading scorer (25,192 points), now at No. 2 behind fellow Hall
of Famer in the late Kobe Bryant (33,643 points). Also when he retired, West
became the third player in league history to reach 25,000 career points.
His
second call to the Hall of Fame was as a member of the 1960 USA Olympic Team alongside
fellow Hall of Famer and co-captain Oscar Robertson that captured Gold in Rome,
Italy.
As mentioned
earlier by Commissioner Silver’s statement earlier in the day, Mr. West will be
enshrined in Springfield, MA for a third time as a contributor later this year.
Years
later following his retirement, Mr. West made the three exclusive squads in the
35th, 50th, and 75th NBA Anniversary squads.
In 2019,
Mr. West was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Mr.
West, going back to the 1974 NBA Draft, was selected that summer one pick after
Robertson was chosen No. 1 overall in arguably the greatest No. 1 and 2 overall
picks in the history of the NBA.
West
immediately joined forces on the hardwood with fellow Hall of Famer in the late
Elgin Baylor to form one of the most potent 1-2 punches in league history for
the Lakers, carrying the Lakers to the Playoffs 14 straight seasons and
elevating professional basketball in Southern California
While his
endless need for perfection was a blessing in his career both as a player and
as an executive, it was also a curse for Mr. West, who drove himself hard to be
the best on the floor as a player for the Lakers and as an executive for them
and the Clippers, Warriors, and Grizzlies to live up to the high standard he
held himself to.
The positive
of that pursuit of perfection for Mr. West is he never missed the Playoffs as a
player in his 14-year career with the Lakers and as an executive for the team
he played a role in helping to build.
Mr.
West’s along with Baylor was not enough in the twosome’s prime years in the league
as they were denied championship glory during the Celtics in the 1960s.
In the
nine occasions the Lakers reached The Finals led by West, they won just once
and they lost six times to fellow late Hall of Famer Bill Russell and the
Celtics.
Mr.
West’s two signature moments came in two of his most significant setbacks in
his playing career.
The
first came in 1969 when Mr. West became the first and only player in NBA
history to be named Finals MVP on the losing team when the Lakers lost to the
Celtics 4-3. In Game 7, West posted a triple-double of 42 points, 12 assists,
and 13 boards while playing with a limp in the 108-106 loss.
One
year later, Mr. West nailed a 60-foot heave in the 1970 NBA Finals setback to
the New York Knickerbockers 4-3.
In the
1965 Finals versus the Celtics, West averaged 40.6 points for the series.
“Those
losses scarred me, scars that remain embedded in my psyche to this day,” Mr.
West said in his autobiography “West by West.
“You
would have to be able to see the tissue under those scars to really know and
fully understand what I am talking about because I can’t adequately articulate
to anyone what it actually feels like. The thing about scar tissue is that it
keeps building, and pretty soon it’s awfully sizeable.”
Mr.
West added in a 2019 interview with NBA.com, “I really, really hated losing. I
hated losing more than I enjoyed winning. It was just something inside of me,
the competitor who felt that if my team didn’t win then it was something I
failed to do. So, I was driven to be my best every time I walked on the court.”
After
years of disappointment, the Lakers led by West, Baylor, and newly acquired
fellow Hall of Famer in the late Wilt Chamberlin got their first title in L.A.
in 1972 completing the best regular season in NBA history with 69 wins, which consisted
of an NBA-record to this date of 33 straight wins, defeating the Knicks 4-1.
Born on
May 28, 1938 in the small town of Cheylan as the fifth of six children, WVA,
Mr. West childhood was not a pleasant one has he grew up with an abusive father
Howard Stewart, a coal mine electrician, who he never developed a close
relationship with.
To
escape his troubles at home, Mr. West migrated to basketball, often playing on
an outdoor hoop by himself in the cold and snow.
During
his formative years of basketball at East Bank High School in East Bank, WVA,
Mr. West perfected his jump shot, which was not in vogue like today, and led
him to become one of the most highly recruited players in the country.
Mr.
West stayed local attending college at West Virginia University, where he very quickly
rose to the elite level in the collegiate ranks.
Not even
a broken nose could keep Mr. West off the floor once playing for the
Mountaineers where he played with the broken ailment the rest of the contest
breathing through his mouth, refusing to leave the game for treatment.
For the
remainder of his days, West sported a nose that was never properly fixed.
Following
his playing career, West remained with the Lakers becoming their head coach (1976-79),
compiling a 246-145 record in the regular season. However, the furthest they
went under Mr. West and fellow Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the postseason
is the Western Conference Finals in 1977 in a four-game sweep to the eventual
NBA champion Portland Trail Blazers led by the late Hall of Famer Bill Walton,
who passed away back on May 27.
Mr.
West following his three seasons as the Lakers sideline leader, he worked in
the team’s scouting department for the next three seasons before moving into
the front office as the Lakers GM before the 1982-83 season.
West beginning
as a scout and then GM for the Lakers helped build the Lakers dynasty of the
1980s, better known as “Showtime” which combined an entertaining style of fastbreak
scoring, passing, and shooting.
The head
of the snake of “Showtime” era was Hall of Famers in Earvin “Magic” Johnson,
the No. 1 overall pick out of Michigan State in 1979, the aforementioned Abdul-Jabbar,
James Worthy, No. 1 overall pick 1982 out of University of North Carolina, and
then head coach Pat Riley, who is now in the front office of the now three-time
NBA champion Miami Heat was West’s teammate on that 1972 title squad.
The Lakers
led by West, Riley, Johnson, and Worthy, flanked by the likes of fellow Hall of
Famer Bob McAdoo, Byron Scott, Michael Cooper, Jamaal Wilkes, and Mychal
Thompson won five titles in nine seasons (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988).
One of
West’s man quirks as Lakers’ GM that he famously was nervous before every
game and often watched the action from
the tunnel or on television. He rarely attended Lakers road games because of
his hate for flying, even if it meant missing playoff games.
The
Lakers after a two-year drought got back to The Finals in 1991, then led by new
head coach Mike Dunleavy, Johnson, Worthy, and Scott but lost 4-1 to Chicago
Bulls, led by Hall of Famers Michael
Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and then head coach Phil Jackson.
After
two First-Round Playoff exits and not making the postseason in 1993-94 season,
the West rebuilt the Lakers back into a Playoff perennial alongside then head
coach Del Harris around Hall of Famer Vlade Divac, Cedrick Ceballos, and Nick
Van Exel. They won 48 games in 1994-95 and reached the West Semifinals, where
they lost 4-2 to the eventual East runner-up in the San Antonio Spurs.
West
that season won his first of two Executive of the Year Awards.
The makings
of another Lakers title run began in summer of 1996 where he signed Hall of
Famer Shaquille O’Neal in free agency and in that June’s draft traded Divac for
the draft rights to then teenager in the now late Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, No.
13 overall pick.
After only
going as far as the Western Conference Finals 1998 after winning 61 games that
season, the Lakers lost 4-0 to the eventual Western Conference Finals champion
Utah Jazz. The next postseason, the Lakers lost 4-0 in the West Semis to the eventual
NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.
In the
summer of 1999 before moving into their current home arena, then Staples Center
(now Crypto.com Arena), the Lakers hired Jackson, who coached the Bulls to six
titles in eight seasons (1991-92 & 1996-98).
The
Lakers won the first of two of three straight titles beginning in 2000, West
final season with the Lakers in their front office.
In
2002, West became the GM of the Grizzlies, saying, “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 wanted to help make
a difference.”
While no
championships came in West’s five seasons with the Grizzlies, he did turn them
into a Playoff perennial, reaching the postseason three straight seasons
(2004-06) behind additions via solid trades and draft selections that included Hall
of Famer Pau Gasol, and James Posey, and Jason Williams, and signing Hall of
Famer and current NBA on ESPN analyst Hubie Brown, who in 2003-04 won his
second Kia Coach of the Year Award (1997-78). West also received some
postseason recognition, winning his second Executive of the Year Award in the
same season.
After
missing the postseason behind a 22-60 record, West then at age 69 retired as
Grizzlies GM in 2007, turning over managerial duties to Chris Wallace, the
Grizzlies GM from 2007-19.
Four
years later, West joined the Warriors as a consultant on their executive board
and alongside new Governors Joe Lacob and Peter Guber helped build them into a
championship dynasty with three Larry O’Brien trophies (2015, 2017, 2018) in
five seasons (2015-19). The 2015 title was the team’s first since 1975.
During
this period, the Warriors drafted future Hall of Famers in Klay Thompson and
Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, and now Sacramento Kings’ Harrison Barnes. They
also during this glorious time signed or traded for the likes of now Phoenix
Suns perennial All-Star Kevin Durant, Shaun Livingston, Andre Igoudala, Leandro
Barbosa, Andrew Bogut, Marreese Speights, David West, and JaVale McGee.
Perhaps
the biggest moment for West in the Warriors front office was convincing the Warriors
to not trade Thompson to the Minnesota Timberwolves for now Heat’s Kevin Love.
Following
the Warriors third title in five seasons in 2016-17 versus the Cleveland Cavaliers
on June 14, 2017, West announced he was coming back to Southern California but
to join the Clippers front office as member on their executive board and
consultant.
“One of
the saddest days” West said of leaving the Warriors. But also said he was
excited for the challenge of helping build the Clippers into a title contender.
Then
head coach Doc Rivers, who is now the sideline leader of the Milwaukee Bucks
floated the idea of Mr. West joining the Clippers back in 2016.
In the
summer of 2019, the Clippers hit the jackpot in the summer of 2019 signing
All-Star and 2014 Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and acquired from the Oklahoma City
Thunder.
“He was
absolutely my basketball sage: wise, loyal, and so much fun. If you were in his
presence, you felt his competitiveness and his drive,” Clippers Governor Steve
Ballmer said of his seven years (2017-24) with West.
“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. I spent a lot of time with him, some of the best times of my life. He
always lent an ear, and he always had a quip. He always left me laughing. I
will miss him.”
The big
part of the history of the NBA included Jerry West, first as a player for the Lakers,
leading them to the Playoffs in all 14 seasons, winning a title in 1972, their
first in L.A. after winning five in Minneapolis, MN.
As an
executive, West built the Lakers into an 11-time NBA champion first in the
1980s and at the start of the 2000s.
He then
moved on to join the Grizzlies and helped them to their first three postseason
appearances in franchise history in the middle of the 2000s.
West
then joined the Warriors in 2011 and built them into a team that won three of
their seven Larry O’Brien trophies.
Mr.
West’s NBA journey concluded with the Clippers beginning in 2017. While they never
won a title, West kept them on a path to where they have registered 13
consecutive winning seasons after compiling just two winning seasons in their
first 32 years of existence dating back to their time as the Buffalo Braves
(1970-78) and San Diego Clippers (1978-84).
Jerry
West lived up to his nickname on the court and as an executive: “Mr. Clutch.” When
called upon to deliver he did in great fashion. He did it on the court with his
ability to shoot and guard and as an executive drafting, trading, and signing
the right player(s) that helped turn the Lakers and Warriors into champions and
the Grizzlies and Clippers from laughing stocks to Playoff perennials.
While Mr.
West may be gone physically, his image will live forever as the silhouette of
him on every hoop in all 30 NBA arenas, on a Wilson basketball both in an NBA
game or what you see on a court in your local park or home driveway is
considered basis of NBA logo.
“It’s
an enormous loss for all sports not just basketball,” Commissioner Silver said
to the ESPN “NBA Countdown crew of Malika Andrews, Stephen A. Smith, Bob Myers,
Michael Wilbon, and Los Angeles Clippers Paul George on Wednesday night.
Information,
statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 6/12/2024 www.nba.com story, “NBA Icon And Hall of Famer
Jerry West Passes Away At 86,” By Shaun Powell; 6/12/2024 7:30 p.m. “NBA
Countdown,” ABC, Delivered by Doordash With Malika Andrews, Stephen A. Smith,
Michael Wilbon, Bob Myers, Adrian Wojnarowski; www.statmuse.com;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Memphis_Grizzlies_seasons;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubie_Brown;
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Wallace_(basketball);
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Los_Angeles_Clippers_seasons;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Johnson;
and http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Worthy.
