Jerry West, who was chosen to the Basketball Corridor of Fame 3 times in a storied profession as a participant and government, and whose silhouette is the premise of the NBA brand, has died, the Los Angeles Clippers introduced.
He was 86.
West, nicknamed “Mr Clutch” for his late-game exploits as a participant, was an NBA champion who went into the Corridor of Fame as a participant in 1980 and once more as a member of the gold medal-winning 1960 US Olympic Workforce in 2010.
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He can be enshrined for a 3rd time later this yr as a contributor, and NBA commissioner Adam Silver referred to as West “one of many biggest executives in sports activities historical past”.
Basketball id Jerry West has handed away. Getty Pictures for SiriusXM
“He helped construct eight championship groups throughout his tenure within the NBA — a legacy of feat that mirrors his on-court excellence,” Silver mentioned.
“And he can be enshrined this October into the Naismith Basketball Corridor of Fame as a contributor, turning into the primary individual ever inducted as each a participant and a contributor.
“I valued my friendship with Jerry and the data he shared with me over a few years about basketball and life.”
West was “the personification of basketball excellence and a buddy to all who knew him,” the Clippers mentioned in saying his loss of life.
West’s spouse, Karen, was by his aspect when he died, the Clippers mentioned. West labored for the Clippers as a guide for the previous seven years.
He was an All-Star in all 14 of his NBA seasons, a 12-time All-NBA choice, a part of the 1972 Lakers crew that gained a championship, an NBA Finals MVP when the Lakers misplaced to the Boston Celtics in 1969 — the primary yr that award was given out, and nonetheless the one time it went to a participant on the dropping crew — and was chosen as a part of the NBA’s seventy fifth anniversary crew.
West was common supervisor of championship groups with the Los Angeles Lakers, serving to construct the “Showtime” dynasty.
He additionally labored within the entrance workplaces of the Memphis Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors and the Clippers. Amongst his many highlights as an government with the Lakers: he drafted Magic Johnson and James Worthy, then introduced in Kobe Bryant and finally Shaquille O’Neal to play alongside Bryant.
His basketball life bridged generations: West performed with Elgin Baylor, whom he referred to as “probably the most supportive and the best participant of that period,” and Wilt Chamberlain. As a coach and government, he labored with a who’s-who of NBA stars from the previous 40 years: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, Worthy, O’Neal, Bryant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George amongst them.
“I marvel at them, on the pleasure they introduced basketball followers all around the world,” West mentioned in 2019.
Even within the closing years of his life, West was thought of basketball royalty. He routinely sat courtside at Summer time League video games in Las Vegas, typically watching many video games in a day whereas greeting lengthy strains of gamers — LeBron James amongst them — who would method to shake his hand.
“The sport transcends many issues,” West mentioned whereas attending Summer time League final yr. “The gamers change, the model of play might change, however the respect that you simply be taught on this sport by no means adjustments.”
James, on social media, supplied his condolences: “Will actually miss our convos my pricey buddy! My ideas and prayers goes out to your great household! Eternally love Jerry! Relaxation in Paradise my man!” the NBA’s all-time scoring chief wrote.
West is twenty fifth on the NBA’s all-time scoring record, and whereas the league has by no means confirmed that West was in actual fact the mannequin for its brand — a participant dribbling a ball, set in opposition to a red-and-blue background — the league has by no means mentioned in any other case, both.
“Whereas it’s by no means been formally declared that the brand is Jerry West,” Silver mentioned in 2021, “it certain seems to be loads like him.”
West continues to be the NBA Finals’ all-time chief in whole factors, together with discipline objectives made and tried in addition to free throws made and tried. He performed within the title collection 9 occasions with the Lakers; his groups went 1-2 in opposition to the New York Knicks, and 0-6 in opposition to the Celtics.
“These rattling Celtics,” he typically mentioned.
West additionally hit one of the crucial famed photographs in finals historical past, a 60-footer on the buzzer of sport three of the 1970 collection between the Knicks and Lakers to power extra time.
Tributes from throughout the sports activities world rapidly poured in after information broke of West’s loss of life. The Los Angeles Dodgers launched an announcement calling West “an indelible determine on the Los Angeles sports activities panorama for greater than 60 years,” and the NBA was planning a pregame tribute to West earlier than Sport 3 of the NBA Finals between the Celtics and Dallas Mavericks.
“Jerry West is one in every of my favourite folks that I had the distinction to get to know within the NBA,” Miami Warmth managing common accomplice Micky Arison mentioned. “He welcomed me to the league, supplied recommendation from the primary day, and requested nothing in return. He can be missed.”
Michael Jordan mentioned he thought of West “a buddy and mentor – like an older brother to me.”
“I valued his friendship and data,” Jordan mentioned. “I all the time wished I may have performed in opposition to him as a competitor, however the extra I got here to know him, I want I had been his teammate. I admired his basketball insights and he and I shared many similarities to how we approached the sport.”
