The 2024 edition of the Las Vegas Summer League kicked off with a moving tribute to Jerry West, who passed away on June 12 at the age of 86. Every year, the “logo” would come to sit in the same spot, enjoying his soft-serve ice cream. On Friday, before the first game between the Wolves and the Pelicans, several celebrities, including Rod Thorn, Mark Jones and Mitch Kupchak, spoke to talk about West’s regular presence in Las Vegas to observe future NBA talent.
“The only thing Jerry liked to do was go out and watch kids play,” Mitch Kupchak saidformer player and then manager of the Lakers alongside West. “He would often say, ‘Hey Mitch, let’s go to San Diego and watch San Diego State play.’ ‘Let’s go to Santa Barbara, Brian Shaw is playing in Santa Barbara tonight.’ Let’s go to the UCLA game or the Loyola Marymount game. That’s the one thing he loved: sitting in the stands and watching a kid play. He loved sitting there and watching the players come up to him and watching and taking notes. That was his passion.”
To honor him, his usual chair remained empty, with a simple T-shirt flocked with “The Soul of Summer League”, and a cup of his favorite ice cream. Already the Draft, the NBA had left his usual place empty.
