Per various reports, Jerry West has passed away at the age of 86.
Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry West has died at the age of 86. pic.twitter.com/hF2xptmySL
— ESPN (@espn) June 12, 2024
Jerry West, ‘The Logo,’ Passes Away at 86
West is the NBA.
It’s because he’s the inspiration for the NBA’s logo; the silhouette of a man dribbling a basketball. Simple, but iconic, as it’s stood for 55 years.
It’s because he’s a Hall of Fame point guard. West was the second overall pick in the 1960 NBA Draft out of West Virginia, selected only after fellow Hall of Famer, Oscar Robertson. Named an All-Star in every season of his career, West finished his playing career with averages of 27.0 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game. Though he only captured a single NBA championship, he reached the NBA Finals on nine occasions. Still, being bested by Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics —the origin story for the NBA’s most famous rivalry —is hardly a knock on West’s ability.
It’s because West stayed around the game long after his playing. Just two years after his final game, he became the head coach of the Lakers. In that time, West led what was then Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s squad to the NBA Playoffs for three straight seasons. He came in second in Coach of the Year voting in 1976-77, his first season as head coach, the Lakers having went 53-29.
West then transitioned to scouting. He worked his way through the ranks until he was named the Lakers’ general manager in 1982. After winning three championships with the Showtime Lakers, he reconstructed another title-winning core with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. That duo became even more iconic than him, with Bryant a highly-touted inspiration for players to this day.
A Winner, At The End of it All
Notably, West won the Executive of the Year award with both L.A. (1995) and the Memphis Grizzlies (2004). In the 2003-04 season, West’s Grizzlies won 50 games, 22 more than the previous year. His hiring of Hall of Fane head coach Hubie Brown and signing of eventual two-time NBA champion James Posey were major factors in their turnaround.
Since then, West has served in myriad executive roles for the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers, winning two NBA championships while with the Warriors. Thus, he’s won nine NBA championships in total, including one as a player.
Again, West is the NBA. Which is what makes his passing even more tragic.
