Jerry West, the legendary player and executive whose silhouette is the inspiration for the NBA logo, died Wednesday at the age of 86, the Clippers announced.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 1960 NBA Draft, West played 14 years in the NBA, all for the Lakers. He was a 14-time All-Star and a 12-time All-NBA selection, and he finished as the runner-up in MVP voting four times.
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. His wife, Karen, was by his side. pic.twitter.com/iMwOXmCT2B
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) June 12, 2024
While West never won a title as a player, he was named the 1968-69 NBA Finals MVP as part of the losing team. In the seven-game series defeat to the Celtics, he averaged 37.9 points, 7.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 49% from the field.
West led the NBA in scoring the following season with 31.2 points per game. For his career, all of which came prior to the introduction of the 3-point line, he averaged 27.0 points, 6.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds.
He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979, and his number 44 was retired by the Lakers in 1983.
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