NBA legend and Hall of Famer Jerry West died on Wednesday at 86, the Los Angeles Clippers announced.
“Jerry West, the personification of basketball excellence and a friend to all who knew him, passed away peacefully this morning at the age of 86,” the Clippers said in a statement. “His wife, Karen, was by his side.”
West entered the NBA in 1960 after being drafted as the second overall pick to the Minneapolis Lakers just prior to the team’s move to Los Angeles, and he stayed with the franchise his entire playing career.
During his time in Los Angeles, West became the third player in league history to hit 25,000 points, was named an All-Star every year of his career, captured the NBA scoring championship, and helped the Lakers win the 1972 NBA Finals.
After his playing career ended, West served as the head coach of the Lakers and the team’s general manager.
West also served in an executive role for the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles Clippers.
He captured eight NBA titles as an executive.
“Jerry West was a basketball genius and a defining figure in our league for more than 60 years,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “He distinguished himself not only as an NBA champion and an All-Star in all 14 of his playing seasons but also as a consummate competitor who embraced the biggest moments.”
“I valued my friendship with Jerry and the knowledge he shared with me over many years about basketball and life. On behalf of the NBA, we send our deepest condolences to Jerry’s wife, Karen, his family, and his many friends in the NBA community,” he added.
West will become the first person to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and contributor when he is honored for the latter this coming October, according to Silver.
West remained around the game he loved after leaving professional basketball, according to a report.
He attended NBA Summer League games in Las Vegas and continually talked with players.
For “his outstanding career, both on and off the court,” former President Donald Trump awarded West the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019.
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The Lakers legend is immortalized in the rafters of the Crypto.com Arena, and many believe it is West’s silhouette that serves as the basis of the NBA logo, a notion the league has not denied.
“While it’s never been officially declared that the logo is Jerry West,” Silver said in 2021, “it sure looks a lot like him.”
