NBA legend Jerry West whose prolific playing career led to the league’s logo and his basketball knowledge took him to multiple championships, has died, the Los Angeles Clippers said in a statement Wednesday.
He was 86 years old.
“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,” according to a statement from the Clippers. “His wife, Karen, was by his side.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called West a “basketball genius” and the league’s “defining” figure.
“I valued my friendship with Jerry and the knowledge he shared with me over many years about basketball and life,” Silver said in a statement. “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.”
The Naismith Memorial Member of the Basketball Hall of Fame was an American in West Virginia University before playing 14 seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Even though West’s career took place in an era with a much shorter playoff schedule, his name is still all over the NBA postseason record books: 4,457 points (ninth highest), 1,622 baskets made (ninth) and 1,213 free throws made (seventh), just to name a few.
In regular season gameWest made 7,160 free throws, ninth most.
West led the Lakers to nine NBA Finals appearances, winning the title once, in 1972.
He spent nearly two decades in the Lakers’ front office, acting as general manager and helping to assemble the famous “Showtime” teams that won multiple NBA titles.
“Jerry’s four decades with the Lakers also included a successful stint as head coach and a notable stint in the front office that cemented his reputation as one of the greatest executives in the history of the sport,” Silver said. “He helped build eight championship teams during his NBA tenure – a legacy of achievement that reflects his excellence on the court.”
West’s impact on professional basketball can be seen every time an official league statement appears on NBA letterhead or someone puts up NBA merchandise.
The red, white and blue logo, designed in 1969 by brand guru Alan Siegel, remains one of the most enduring images in American sports.
Siegel’s friend and famous sportswriter, Dick Schaap, handed him a file of NBA photos and an image of West — dribbling with his left hand and driving to the rim — jumped out at him.
“I always admired him, but I liked the photo because it was a beautiful vertical and had this movement”, Siegel told NBA.com in 2021. “I was a fan of his and he was one of those people who had an important history in the NBA.”
At the time, Siegel didn’t reveal to West the inspiration for that famous silhouette, but it was obvious to many fans.
“When designing the logo, I never mentioned that it was based on a photo of him,” he said. “It was discovered years later.”
In recent years, West has become a mental health advocate, speaking openly about his battles with depression. dating back to childhood with an abusive father in poor rural West Virginia.
“My God, like a lot of people, I’ve experienced some really dark times in my life.” West said “The Rich Eisen Show” in 2022.
“I don’t know what triggered this, but going back to some of the things I saw as a child that were not conducive to loving, nurturing families. It was very difficult for me.”
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com read the full story
