BASKETBALL

Jerry West Passes Away At 86

What a sad day to hear about Jerry West. One of the greatest players in basketball history. One of the greatest NBA executives in history. The logo. Mr. Clutch.

Jerry West played in the 1960’s and 70’s but he would have thrived today. He was that good. And he spent some of his best years at the Sports Arena.

In the picture below, West of West Virginia guards UCLA’s John Green in the 1959 Los Angeles Basketball Classic at the Sports Arena. West Virginia beat UCLA, 87-73, on Dec. 29, 1959.

West Virginia would make the NCAA championship game that season.

Here he is at the Sports Arena two years later in 1961 against the Boston Celtics.

Here he is in 1961 against Wilt Chamberlain at the Sports Arena.

The Lakers’ 1966-67 team photo at the Sports Arena.

The Logo.

West vs. the Celtics at the Forum.

29 thoughts on “Jerry West Passes Away At 86”

      1. The Greeks believed that each of our lives is really a story we’re telling to the Gods. Jerry handed the Gods one amazing story, T. Bruins….

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  2. Very nice tribute Scott, Jerry West was obviously a favorite of yours as well as to the whole town of Los Angeles, he and forward Elgin Baylor gave birth to Laker ball outside of Minneapolis

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  3. Minneapolis in the land of 10,000 lakes wasn’t making money for the Lakers and so they moved to L.A. in 1960. There was George Mikan in the NBA 1950s but he was about the only draw and he would be retiring

    And so it was the popularity of this great shooter and defender Jerry West to save the NBA from the dead and which led to the incomparable ’60s Celtics-Lakers “dynasty”. And in appreciation for Jerry creating eventual billionaires they gave him a logo

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  4. When I used to commute, he’d be an occasional guest on the Dan Patrick show. Jerry West was just pure class and one of the sweetest and most caring individuals. Those interviews were so revealing and enjoyable as a life long Laker fan.

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  5. Whoever said “White men can’t jump” never saw Jerry West who had some hops with his shots, and I don’t recall Jerry ever dancing after a shot made

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    1. I heard an interview with West a few years back. He said that he was the fastest player in the league and had one of the highest vertical jumps. That surprised me because I can’t recall him ever dunking a basketball.

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  6. So Jerry lost 7 times in a row and everybody in LA was pulling for the guy in 1972 when the Lakers with Chamberlain, West and Pat Riley beat the New York Knickerbockers with Phil Jackson et al After the victory which seemed a bit anti-climatic after a decade of failures, Jerry was asked how he felt, “I’m not sure how I feel”

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  8. Just watched parts of that 1972 series Laker win, and West showed off a lightning fast first step and he was more than a jump-shooter as he knew how to get to the basket. Oh, and he was the assists leader too

    The Celtics in those days had 7 guys who would go on to be NBA Hall-of-Famers so whether West won them or not just being in 8 NBA Finals is something to be proud of which I bet West never appreciated, he being a ‘win or nothing’ guy

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  9. Wow, that was quite a West article– he was always quiet and became more so when his dad unjustifiably (is there ever a justifiable reason?) beat him which made him a mean kid to the soul-sucking 1960s Celtics to no relationship with cold Phil Jackson to “never saw him relaxed”

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  10. West said his family didn’t have much but their place had a view of the Appalachians, and that as a boy he was too small for football so he started shooting buckets where you can play alone, and that he dared not miss a shot at his makeshift baketball rim otherwise the ball would roll down a hill

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  11. What Jeannie Buss did to Mr. West is unforgivable. He had life time tickets to the Lakers and after a disagreement, she took them away. No wonder the Lakers suck now. She should have brought him back for one last time. Lakers will be medicore until the end of time. God Bless Jerry West.

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    1. And instead of Jerry West making the player personnel decision, Jennie relies on Magic Johnson. Magic used their top 3 pick on players like Alonzo Ball and others who were either total flops or traded away after a year or two. Like Elgin Baylor, Magic was a great player and terrible GM.

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  12. “The greatest honor a man can have is the respect and friendship of his peers. You have that more than any man I know. If I could have one wish granted, it would be that you would always be happy. Bill Russell.”
    –BILL RUSSELL TO JERRY WEST, PER THE ATHLETIC

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    2. Wonderful quote by the great Bill Russell.

      West was interviewed recently about competitiveness. He said that today people call a competitive player a “dawg.” He added that he was so competitive that he ate dawgs, he was a wolf. Perhaps that is what made him so great and life for him so difficult.

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      2. That’ll never happen. JW patch would be nice. Jeannie Buss seems to have some animus towards West. I remember when West quit the Lakers and the circumstances.

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  15. Pat Riley on Jerry West:

    “I loved Jerry West! We loved being Lakers together; it was sacred ground. We grew in life with each other and shared the best and worst of times together. We can only hope there is someone we meet during a crucial time in our lives that will change you in ways you could dream about. Jerry was that person for me.

    “Today’s sad, sad news about his passing brought back many of those special moments with Jerry. Those beautiful memories came in a waterfall of tears; all coming so fast, so vivid, so etched in my mind. It was like yesterday after a shootaround at The Forum that we’d hustle to Hollis Johnson’s drugstore in Westwood to eat the best burgers, drink milkshakes and savor a great custard pudding with fresh whipped cream before we headed home to nap.

    “Then it was game time and Jerry would kick ass in a way that was so skilled and relentless. I was so proud to be there in his presence. I watched, I learned. He made me believe. Being in that aura of greatness was mesmerizing. I was told, ‘Pat, Just watch him and model yourself after Jerry.’ He was smart, committed, opinionated, fearless, generous, ultra-competitive, stubborn, but with great grace. These were just some of the characteristics he embedded in my psyche. They emerged at the right time, honed by many years of self-talking Jerry reminders. Jerry kicked down that coaching door for me and said, you can do this, but it has to be now. He knew, then he let me coach. I thank him forever and always for giving me that opportunity.

    “Chris and I pray the Good Lord will look after Karen and his family during this most difficult time. May peace be with them. And Jerry, one day, my good friend, we will meet again. Just save me a burger, milkshake and custard with whipped cream. The best lunch I ever had. Until then, Rest in Peace.”

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  16. I thought this and Pat Riley’s comments on Jerry West were the two best I read.

    Mark Madsen:

    To Jerry West and Family,

    My heart is full on hearing this heartbreaking news. You will always be an unbelievable person and someone who cared deeply for others. Even after you left the Lakers role of GM you stayed invested in each of us regardless of stature. I will never forget the words of encouragement. In my first or second year at the Lakers you invited to your home for dinner with your family and a couple you were friends with. It was an awesome dinner. We laughed, joked and you told the most amazing stories. You loved people! After the home cooked meal, you and Ryan and Johnny and I went out to your hoop in the backyard and we shot around. You gave me tips on my jumper to improve it. You ALWAYS HELPED people. When I left your home that night you walked me to the car and told me to always keep working on my game. You showed me your spin move. You made me believe in myself even more than I thought possible. Who in your shoes does that? Very few.

    After you left to revive Memphis, there was a huge article on you in the LA Times. It talked about how over the years whenever a player had a problem; a personal problem, a complicated issue, a death in the family, you would reach out, show up at the house, call. You cared about others. Shaq would often share with us privately the lessons you taught him about how many times you went to the finals and failed before breaking through and winning it.

    Thank you for the man and the family that you are and that you created. God Bless you and your family. I am a better man because of you.

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  17. I also commented on Jeannie Buss and Phil Jackson Vis-à-vis Jerry West, but the blog canceled out my mean comments (not that mean).

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  18. I didn’t read that Lebron James had any thoughts on Jerry West. Granted they weren’t with the organization at the same time.

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