Jerry West — whose silhouette is the NBA logo and is considered one of the most influential players and executives in the history of the league — has died at 86.
During his playing days with the Los Angeles Lakers, West was nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” because of his repeated late-game heroics in the 1960s and early 1970s. He was an NBA All-Star every year of his career and led the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA Finals nine times, winning once in 1971-72 alongside fellow legend Wilt Chamberlain.
West was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame as a player in 1980.
The jump shooter was also inducted into the Hall of Fame as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010. According to NBA.com, West will be enshrined for a third time later this year as a contributor.
West was “the personification of basketball excellence and a friend to all who knew him,” the Clippers said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. West’s wife, Karen, was by his side when he died, the Clippers statement added.
West was an outstanding basketball player, achieving a lot during his career. He was a 14-time NBA All-Star and made the All-NBA team 12 times. In 1969, he became the only player to win the NBA Finals MVP award while being on the losing team. He was also honored by being named to the NBA’s 50th and 75th-anniversary teams.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver paid tribute to West, calling him a “basketball genius,” for the many roles he filled in a statement released by the league.
“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,” Silver said. “He helped build eight championship teams during his tenure in the NBA – a legacy of achievement that mirrors his on-court excellence. I valued my friendship with Jerry and the knowledge he shared with me over many years about basketball and life.”
NBA great Michael Jordan weighed in with a statement first passed on by First Take host Stephen A. Smith.
“I am so deeply saddened at the news of Jerry’s passing,” Jordan wrote. “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 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. He will be forever missed. My condolences to his wife Karen and his sons. Rest in peace, Logo.”
As a general manager, West led the Los Angeles Lakers to eight NBA championships, creating the famous “Showtime” era with Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy. He also worked as a general manager for the Memphis Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors, and the L.A. Clippers, contributing to their successes.
West also made headlines two years ago, when he blasted the producers of the HBO drama series “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” for portraying him as angry, golf club-snapping, profanity-laced ranter who drank too much — something those who knew him in those days, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar strongly refuted. West even went to the extent of demanding a retraction through his legal counsel.
“Jerry West was an integral part of the Lakers and NBA’s success [and] it is a travesty that HBO has knowingly demeaned him for shock value and the pursuit of ratings,” wrote Skip Miller, West’s attorney, and a part of L.A.’s Miller Barondess, LLP law firm. “As an act of common decency, HBO and the producers owe Jerry a public apology and at the very least should retract their baseless and defamatory portrayal of him.”
