Basketball legend Jerry West, who created the NBA logo, passed away peacefully at his home at the age of 86.
This information was shared by the Los Angeles Clippers (the team in which Jerry has shares) and Mr. West’s extended family last night and early this morning Vietnam time.
As one of the most successful names in American basketball history, Jerry West has been active in the NBA for 8 decades.
He has a total of 9 NBA championships in many different roles including player, coach, tactical analyst, technical director and finally a consultant for the club.
Jerry West was the chief architect of the championships that the Los Angeles Lakers had from the 1980s to the 2000s. Then he was the consultant to create the championship empire at Golden State in the 2010s (as job from 2011 to 2017) before joining the LA Clippers from 2017 to present.
During his playing days, Jerry West spent all 14 years of his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was an All-Star 14 times, appeared on the All-NBA team 12 times and was honored 5 times on the All-NBA Defensive Team.
Besides becoming “The Logo” of the NBA, Jerry West had the title of Scoring Champion in 1970 and was crowned champion in 1972. This was the only time Mr. West won the NBA championship even though he appeared in the NBA Finals for 9 years. (all lost to “Lord of the Rings” Bill Russell).
In addition, Jerry West was also the captain of the US basketball team that attended the 1960 Olympics, where he and his teammates won gold medals in Rome, Italy.
“Jerry West is not only a legend but also a basketball genius, a symbol of the tournament with an influence that spans decades,” executive board member Adam Silver shared in an official statement. of the NBA regarding Mr. West’s passing.
“He is not only a champion, an All-Star player continuously throughout his entire 14-year playing career, but also a warrior always ready to face the most difficult challenges.”
To date, Jerry West is still the only Finals MVP in history to receive this award despite not being on the championship team.
The passing of the legendary Jerry West made the entire NBA mourn. Legend Michael Jordan shared: “I was very sad to hear the news and wanted to send words of encouragement and condolences to Mr. West’s family. Before, I always wished I could face him on the football field, but later on, I wanted him to become my teammate even more.”
LeBron James also expressed his condolences, sharing on the X platform: “I will miss our conversations. Love you forever, Jerry. Rest in peace in heaven”.
“Dr.J” Julius Erving wrote : “Rest in peace my legendary scorer, a man who showed the world what greatness is in basketball as a player and coach and the team’s leadership”.
Next October, the late legend Jerry West will be named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as an advisor.
This helped Mr. West become the first person in NBA history to enter the Hall of Fame both as a player and as a team advisor.
