Jerry West, NBA and Lakers legend, dead at 86

NBA

breaking

By Justin Tasch

Jerry West, one of the greatest players in NBA history who also built the 1980 Lakers dynasty as their general manager, died Wednesday morning, the Clippers announced.

He was 86. A cause of death was not disclosed.

West’s wife Karen was by his side when he passed.

West, whose silhouette is used for the NBA’s logo and was nicknamed “Mr. Clutch,” had been working for the Clippers as a consultant.

Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980, West was an All-Star every season of his 14-year career, all with the Lakers, and helped lead them to an NBA championship in 1972.

He averaged 27 points, 6.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds for his career.

West, who has a statue outside the Lakers’ arena and whose No. 44 is retired by the team, made the All-NBA first team 10 times, the All-Defensive first team four times and was the 1970 scoring champion.

Born in Chelyan, W.V., Jerome Alan West played collegiately at West Virginia University, where he was a two-time first team All-American.

He was taken No. 2 overall by the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1960 NBA draft right before the team relocated to Los Angeles.

After retiring in 1974, West took over as the Lakers’ head coach in 1976, manning the bench for three seasons.

He then became a scout for the team and was named their general manager in 1982, helping engineer the Showtime Lakers that won five NBA championships in the 1980s.

West, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019, had two sons, Ryan and Jonnie, with his second wife Karen, and thee sons, David, Mark and Michael, with his first wife, Martha.