Former basketball player Jerry West, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame and served as inspiration for the NBA logo, died Wednesday morning at the age of 86, the Los Clippers confirmed Angeles.
West, who was nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” because of his many late-game exploits as a player, was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980, and again as a member of the 1960 American Olympic team, in 2010. He will be inducted for the third time later this year, as a builder.
West “personified basketball excellence and the friend everyone knew,” the Clippers said in the press release announcing his death. West’s wife, Karen, was at his bedside when he died, the Clippers said.
He was selected to the All-Star Game 14 times, 12 times to the NBA All-Star team, contributed to the Los Angeles Lakers winning the championship in 1972, was named the MVP of the Final Series of the NBA even though his team lost in 1969 and was selected to the all-star team marking the 75th anniversary of the league.
LeBron James, on his social media, offered his condolences: “I will truly miss our conversations, my dear friend! My thoughts and prayers go out to his amazing family! I will love you forever, Joe! Rest in paradise, my boy!” declared the leading scorer in NBA history on Wednesday.
For his part, Michael Jordan described West as “a friend and a mentor — like a big brother to me.”
“His friendship and knowledge were invaluable,” Jordan said. I always dreamed of playing against him, but the more I got to know him, the more I said to myself that I would have liked him as a teammate. I admired his opinions on basketball, and we shared a lot in common when we discussed basketball. »
West was the general manager of eight championship-winning Lakers, and helped build the legendary “Showtime” dynasty. Among his smoking guns as Lakers executive: He drafted Magic Johnson and James Worthy, then chose Kobe Bryant and eventually brought in Shaquille O’Neal to play alongside him.
He also held various management positions with the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and Clippers.
2024-06-12 14:14:00
#NBA #Jerry #West #passes #age
