Jerry West Tributes Flood Social Media After NBA Legend Passes Away At 86
Jerry West, one of the most important figures in the history of the NBA, has passed away at the age of 86. West, the inspiration for the silhouette of the league's logo, was a 14-time All-Star during his playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Los Angeles Clippers, a team West began consulting for in 2017, announced the news of his passing on Wednesday morning, explaining that his wife, Karen, was by his side.
West led the Lakers to an NBA title in 1972 as a player, three years after being named NBA Finals MVP in 1969 despite Los Angeles losing the series to the Boston Celtics. He averaged 29.1 points per game in the playoffs, which is the second-highest postseason average behind only Michael Jordan.
After retiring in 1974, he became the head coach of the Lakers before eventually moving to the scouting department for the team in 1979 before landing the general manager position for the team in 1982. He quickly built a powerhouse in LA with Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar along with Pat Riley as the team's head coach.
West was also responsible for making a draft day trade in 2016 acquiring Kobe Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets. He took over as the general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies in 2002 and joined the Golden State Warriors as an executive board member in 2011 before his final stop back in Los Angeles with the Clippers.
West was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019 by then-President Donald Trump.