The “Logo” is gone. The Clippers have just announced that Jerry West, “the personification of excellence in basketball”died this morning at the age of 86.
Advisor to Steve Ballmer at the Clippers since 2017, Jerry West has left his mark on the NBA for more than 60 years. First as a player since he was 14 times All-Star with the Lakers (1961–1974), even if he was champion only once, in 1972, losing to the Celtics then the Knicks at eight repeated between 1962 and 1973.
However, he is the only player in history to have been elected MVP of the Finals on a losing team, in 1969…
Three times inducted into the Hall of Fame!
Major player in the history of the league, with his 27.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists on average, Jerry West directly inspired the logo. But his mark did not stop there since he was also an exceptional leader.
Eight times champion as architect of the Lakers (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000) then as advisor to the Warriors (2015 and 2017), he was twice elected “Executive of the Year”, in Los Angeles and Memphis (1995, 2004).
Proof of his immense impact in the NBA but more generally in the world of basketball, he had just been chosen to enter the Hall of Fame for the third time! Present since 1979 for his achievements as a player, but also since 2010 for his presence within the 1960 American Olympic team (gold medal in Rome), it is for his general contribution to the game that the former Lakers player was selected this year.
