Jerry West

Jerry West was an American basketball executive and player. He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His nicknames included "the Logo", in reference to his silhouette being the basis for the NBA logo; "Mr. Clutch", for his ability to make a big play in a key situation such as his famous buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks; "Mr. Outside", in reference to his perimeter play with the Los Angeles Lakers and "Zeke from Cabin Creek" for the creek near his birthplace of Chelyan, West Virginia. West played the small forward position early in his career: he was a standout at East Bank High School and at West Virginia University, where he led the Mountaineers to the 1959 NCAA championship game. He earned the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player honor despite the loss in the championship. He then embarked on a 14-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers and was the co-captain of the 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal team, a squad that was inducted as a unit into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2024, he will be inducted to the Hall of Fame as a contributor to the sport as an executive and consultant.

West's NBA career was highly successful. Playing the guard position, he was voted 12 times into the All-NBA First and Second Teams, was elected into the NBA All-Star Team 14 times and was chosen as the All-Star MVP in 1972, the same year that he won the only title of his career. West holds the NBA record for the highest points per game average in a playoff series with 46.3. He was also a member of the first five NBA All-Defensive Teams (one second, followed by four firsts), which were introduced when he was 32 years old. Having played in nine NBA Finals, he is also the only player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP despite being on the losing team (1969). In 1980, West was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and named to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team. West was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history in 1996, and to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.

After his playing career ended, West took over as head coach of the Lakers for three years. He led Los Angeles into the playoffs each year and earned a Western Conference finals berth once. Working as a player-scout for three years, West was named general manager of the Lakers before the 1982–83 NBA season. Under his reign, Los Angeles won six championship rings. In 2002, West became general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies and helped the franchise win their first-ever playoff berths. For his contributions, West won the NBA Executive of the Year Award twice: once as a Lakers manager (1995) and then as a Grizzlies manager (2004). West's son, Jonnie, also played college basketball for West Virginia. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Bio by: MJR

Sources

• "Jerry West." Wikipedia, revision of 12 June 2024. < link > Accessed 12 June 2024.
• Powell, Shaun. "NBA icon and Hall of Famer Jerry West passes away at 86." NBA.com, published 12 June 2024. < link > Accessed 12 June 2024.
• Weber, Bruce. "Jerry West, One of Basketball's Greatest Players, Dies at 86." The New York Times, published 12 June 2024. < link > Accessed 12 June 2024.

Resources

• "Jerry West." Basketball Reference. < link >
  • comprehensive amateur and professional statistics
• "Jerry West." Olympics.com. < link >
  • summary of his gold-medal career
• "Jerry West." West Virginia Encyclopedia. < link >
  • biography through the lens of his home state
• "Jerry West Digital Collection." West Virginia University. < link >
  • biography and searchable database of all materials held in the university's dedicated collection going back to West's high school days
• "Legends profile: Jerry West." NBA.com. < link >
  • excellent, very readable summary of his groundbreaking career, including archival video
• "West Virginia @150 - Jerry West 1959." West Virginia Public Broadcasting via YouTube. < link >
  • brief video about West leading West Virginia University during their 1959 collegiate national championship run

Remembrances

• Aldridge, David. "Jerry West, as a player and exec, sustained excellence during a lifetime of emotional struggle." The Athletic, published 12 June 2024. < link > Accessed 14 June 2024.
• "Dan Patrick Pays Tribute To His Idol Jerry West." The Dan Patrick Show via YouTube, published 12 June 2024. < link > Accessed 15 June 2024.
• Pearlman, Jeff. "My charmed, tormented life with Jerry West." The Washington Post, published 13 June 2024. < link > Accessed 15 June 2024.