NBA Legend Jerry West Dies at 86
Jerry West, one of the most legendary players in the history of the NBA and the Los Angeles Lakers franchise, died Wednesday morning, the Los Angeles Clippers announced. He was 86.
“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. “He helped build eight championship teams during his tenure in the NBA — a legacy of achievement that mirrors on on-court excellence. 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 value my friendship with Jerry and the knowledge he shared with me over many years about basketball and life. On behalf of the NBA, we send out deepest condolences to Jerry’s wife, Karen, his family and his any friends in the NBA community.
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West was selected as an NBA All-Star 14 times, every year of his career with the Lakers from 1960 to 1974. He went onto become the team’s coach from 1976-1979 and the general manager in 1982, during which he ushered in the Showtime era of the Lakers. The team won NBA championships in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988, led by star players Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy. West helped form the championship-winning duo of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, then went on to work for the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and Clippers’ front offices.
West was so influential during his career that his silhouette is the inspiration for the NBA logo. He was co-captain of the United States’ Olympic gold-winning basketball team in 1960. In 1980, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player, followed by a 2019 induction for his Olympics team.
In Hollywood, West was played by actor Jason Clarke in HBO’s Lakers series “Winning Time” in 2022. However, he wasn’t a fan of the portrayal and asked for a “retraction” of the “deliberately false characterization.”
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