Remembering Jerry West
One of the NBA’s pioneers and greatest executives to ever walk on
basketball courts and assemble teams to dominance has passed away at
the age of 86. Jerry West aka “Mr. Clutch,” “The Logo” was a quiet
introvert who stepped into the NBA with a jump shot. Drafted second
overall by the Minneapolis Lakers in 1960, he immediately became a
dominant player. Averaging 27 points per game, West showcased his
clutch genes further into his career.
Moving from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, the Lakers were on a mission
to winning with West. It was an era where the greatest dynasty ever built
in Boston which featured Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, and a plethora of
great players. Taking the Lakers against those Celtics teams was
challenging. Even with Wilt Chamberlin and Elgin Baylor, the Lakers
couldn’t breakthrough in timely fashion.
In 1969, West was named the NBA Finals MVP; the first player to win
the award with the Lakers losing the series to Boston. He finally broke
through in 1972 by winning a championship. After nine tries, West led
the Lakers to a title by defeating the New York Knicks. His playing
career was already in the twilight years, and this was the way to retire.
Upon retiring, he coached the Lakers for three seasons before stepping
down into a front office role. Drafting Magic Johnson to pair with
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the rest is history.
Showtime Lakers were on the map as West spearheaded the Lakers dynasty in the 1980s. Along that tenure, James Worthy was added to the team and Los Angeles was box office. Former head coach Pat Riley and Jerry West were on the
same page as the game evolved and looked ahead to where the league
was going. Winning five titles during that era, West kept looking
forward to the next great Lakers legend.
It was a struggle to keep the title aspirations open during the 90s, which
saw Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dominate. Los Angeles still
competed, but it wasn’t until 1996 the Lakers were back in business.
Signing free agent Shaquille O’Neal with a monster deal and his greatest
draft move was acquiring 17 year old Kobe Bryant, who was selected
13 th overall by Charlotte. He believed in Kobe and Shaq who would form
a tandem and West spearheaded the resurrection of Los Angeles’ 2000s
dynasty.
With winning came power struggles, as West and then head coach Phil
Jackson didn’t see eye to eye as the team’s success was interfered with
internal issues. He left the Lakers and went to Memphis to revive their
organization. In 2011, another dynasty was born as he put together the
Golden State Warriors. Selecting Klay Thompson and Draymond Green
in 2012, Dub Nation was on pace to win. Winning titles in 2015, and
2017 West was ready to come back to where it all started: Los Angeles
and finish his executive career as a Laker.
It didn’t happen for West, as the arrival of Rob Pelinka strong-armed
West away. In-town rival Clippers hired him to spearhead a resurgence
and they were able to sign Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. It felt like a
kick in the gut for Lakers fans, but we understood as to why this
happened. The estranged relationship with the Lakers was on full display
as Jeanie Buss gave her top five important figures to the franchise:
Kobe, Kareem, LeBron, Magic, and Phil Jackson.
This became an ire and Jeanie took heat for not naming Jerry West as an
important figure in franchise history. A man who took the Lakers to the
Finals and built two dynasties in his executive role. He believed in the
Lakers and loved the purple and gold. It was the final battle which West
felt alienated from the Lakers.
Upon his passing, the Clippers issued a heartfelt statement about West’s
impact and professionalism. Lakers on the other hand, no remorse; but
Buss took to her Instagram and made a tribute. Damage was already
done and to even think of treating a “Laker for Life” in West as he didn’t
exist was classless. His impact will live on with true Laker fans and not
forgotten.
You see, even in grief the Lakers organization can’t get this right. It’s
drew frowns from the fan base moving forward to how you treat the
legends. West’s mentorship with former and current players is very well
known. He spoke highly of today’s superstars and paid attention to the
game evolving. Jerry West was more than a Laker; he was a man who looked ahead and progressed in becoming a better executive.
His legacy and impact on other sports can’t be denied as well. There’s no dynasty
impact without West’s blueprint in winning. From the basketball courts
to front offices, he will live forever as “The Logo.” From all of us here
at The Gryd, we send our deepest condolences to West’s family and
loved ones. Thank you for all the contributions beyond basketball.
