Jerry West
Encyclopedia
Jerry Alan West is a retired American basketball
player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers
of the National Basketball Association
(NBA). His nicknames include "Mr. Clutch," for his ability to make a big play in a clutch situation, such as his famous buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks
; "The Logo," in reference to his silhouette being incorporated into the NBA logo; and "Zeke from Cabin Creek," after the creek near his birthplace of Chelyan, West Virginia
. Playing the small forward
position early in his career, West was a standout at East Bank High School and at West Virginia University
, leading the WVU Mountaineers to the 1959 NCAA
championship game, earning Most Valuable Player
honors despite the loss. He then embarked on a 14-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and was the co-captain of the 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal team
in Rome, a squad that would be inducted as a unit into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
West’s NBA career was highly successful. Playing the guard position as a professional, he was voted 12 times into the All-NBA First and Second Teams, was elected into the NBA All-Star Team 14 times, and was chosen as the All-Star MVP in 1972, the same year that he won the only title of his career
. West holds the NBA record
for the highest points per game average in a playoff
series with 46.3. He was also a member of the first four NBA All-Defensive Team
s, which were introduced when he was 32 years old. Having played in nine NBA Finals, he is also the only player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP despite being on the losing team (1969). West was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980 and voted as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history in 1996.
After his playing career, West was head coach of the Lakers for three years, leading Los Angeles into the playoffs each year and earning a Western Conference Finals berth once. Working as a player-scout for three years, West was named General Manager
of the Lakers prior to the 1982–83 NBA season. Under his reign, Los Angeles won seven championship rings. In 2002, West became General Manager of the Memphis Grizzlies
and helped the franchise win their first-ever playoff berths. For his contributions, West won the NBA Executive of the Year Award
twice, once as a Lakers manager (1995) and then as a Grizzlies manager (2004). West's son, Jonnie, played college basketball for the West Virginia Mountaineers
team.
at age 22 when Jerry was 12. He was so small and frail that he needed vitamin injections from his doctor and was kept apart from children's sports, to prevent him from getting seriously hurt. Growing up, West spent his days hunting and fishing, but his main distraction was shooting at a basketball hoop that a neighbor had nailed to his storage shed. West spent years shooting baskets from every possible angle, ignoring mud and snow in the backyard, as well as his mother's lashes when he came home hours late for dinner; he played so often that the NBA acknowledged it as "obsessive".
from 1952 to 1956. During his first year, he was mostly benched by his coach Duke Shaver due to his lack of height. Shaver emphasized the importance of conditioning and defense, lessons which the teenager appreciated. Soon, West became the captain of the freshman team and, during the summer of 1953, he grew to . Eventually becoming the team's starting small forward
, West quickly established himself as one of the finest West Virginian high school players of his generation. He was named All-State from 1953–56, then All-American in 1956 when he was West Virginia Player of the Year, becoming the state's first high-school player to score more than 900 points in a season, with an average of 32.2 points per game. West's mid-range jump shot became his trademark and he often used it to score while under pressure from opposing defense. West led East Bank to a state championship on March 24 that year, prompting East Bank High School to change its name to "West Bank High School" every year on March 24 in honor of their basketball prodigy, until its closure in 1999.
(WVU), located in Morgantown
. In his freshman year (1956–57), West was a member of the WVU freshman squad that achieved a perfect record of 17 wins without a loss over the course of the season. In his first varsity year under head coach Fred Schaus
, West scored 17.8 points per game and averaged 11.1 rebounds; he also started in all 28 games while shooting 49.6% from the field and 73.2% from the free throw line. These performances earned him a multitude of honors, among them an All-American Third Team call-up; First Team All-Southern Conference
; Southern Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player Award and First Team honors; Chuck Taylor
-Converse Second-team All-American honors; and Associated Press
and United Press International
Third-team All-American honors. The Mountaineers went 26–2 that year, ending the season with a loss to Manhattan College
in post-season tournament play.
During his junior year (1958–59), West scored 26.6 points per game and grabbed 12.3 rebounds per game. He tied the NCAA five-game tournament record of 160 points (32.0 points per game) and led all scorers and rebounders in every West Virginia game, including getting 28 points and 11 rebounds in a 71–70 loss to California in the final. West was named Most Outstanding Player of that year's Final Four
. Further awards were All-American, Southern Conference Tournament MVP and Southern Conference Player of the Year and Athlete of the Year. He was also named to be a member of the U.S. Pan American Games
basketball team which won the gold medal. West demonstrated his tenacity to the game in a match against the Kentucky Wildcats
; an incident in the game broke his nose, but he continued playing despite intense pain and having to breath through his mouth. He scored 19 points in the second-half, leading WVU to an upset victory.
In his final collegiate season (1959–60) West averaged several career highs, such as scoring 29.3 points per game, a 134 season-assists, 16.5 rebounds per game, and a shooting average of 50.4% from the field, 76.6% from the free throw line. He was honored again with several awards: a call-up to the All-American selection, and being voted Southern Conference MVP. West's best performance was a game against Virginia
, in which he grabbed 16 rebounds and scored 40 points. Moreover, during that final year, he had 30 double-doubles and fifteen 30-point games. In his collegiate career, West totaled 2,309 points and 1,240 rebounds. He averaged 24.8 points per game and 13.3 rebounds. As of 2011, West holds 12 WVU all-time records. Along with Oscar Robertson
, West co-captained the U.S. men's basketball team at the 1960 Summer Olympics
and won the gold medal.
, and was drafted with the 2nd overall pick by the Minneapolis Lakers
, shortly before the team relocated to Los Angeles
. West became the first draft pick ever of the relocated franchise. His college coach was also hired to coach the Lakers. He played West as a guard, in contrast to West's college days as a forward. The Lakers were captained by Hall-of-Fame forward Elgin Baylor
, who was complemented by centers Jim Krebs
and Ray Felix
; forwards Rudy LaRusso
and Tom Hawkins
; and guards Rod Hundley
(from West Virginia, like West), Frank Selvy, and Bob Leonard. This team perennially had strong forwards and guards, but was constantly weak at center, giving them a disadvantage against the Boston Celtics
with their Hall-of-Fame center, Bill Russell
.
Initially, West felt odd in his new environment. He was a loner. His high-pitched voice earned him the nickname "Tweety Bird", and he spoke with such a thick Appalachian accent that his teammates also referred to him as "Zeke from Cabin Creek" (his nickname acknowledged his country roots, and his accent was so thick that he squeaked his nickname sheepishly - "Zeek fr'm Cab'n Creek"). However, West soon impressed his colleagues with his defensive hustle, with his vertical jump—he could reach up 16 inches above the rim when he went up—and with his work ethic, spending countless extra hours working on his game. On the floor, West scored 17.6 points, grabbed 7.7 rebounds and gave 4.2 assists per game. West won Schaus's trust and, alternating with Hundley, Selvy, and Leonard, played 35 minutes per game and established himself as the Lakers' second scoring option. The NBA commented that the Lakers now had a potent one-two-punch—with "Mr. Inside" (the low-post scorer, Baylor) and "Mr. Outside" (the long-distance shooter, West). These performances soon earned West his first of fourteen NBA All-Star Game call-ups.
West helped the Lakers improve from their previous 25-win season to 36 wins as they reached the 1961 NBA Playoffs
. They needed all five games to put away the Detroit Pistons
; but then lost to the St. Louis Hawks in seven games, losing the final game 105–103.
In West's second NBA season, the Lakers could only make limited use of Baylor, who was called up by the U.S. Army Reserves and could play only 48 games. However, West seamlessly took over the role of team leader and established himself as the main Lakers scorer, averaging 30.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game, winning All-NBA First Team honors. West became known especially for hitting important late-game shots, and Lakers' announcer Chick Hearn
named him "Mr. Clutch" a handle which stuck with West for his entire career.
The Lakers won 54 regular season games and secured a first-round bye in the 1962 NBA Playoffs
. They beat the Pistons four games to two to advance to the 1962 NBA Finals
against the Boston Celtics
. The teams split the first two games, and at the end of Game 3 in Los Angeles, West tied the game at 115. The Celtics' Sam Jones
inbounded the ball at half-court with three seconds left. West stole the ball, raced upcourt, and converted a running layup
as the buzzer sounded. The Celtics tied the series in Game 6 at three games apiece, and the teams headed to Boston for Game 7. For most of the game, the Lakers trailed, but West and Frank Selvy hit several clutch baskets and tied the game at 100. Selvy then missed an open 8-foot shot which would have won the Lakers their first title. Baylor's tip-in attempt was thwarted by Sam Jones. In overtime, Jones scored several clutch baskets to ensure a 110–107 win for the Celtics. The 1962 NBA finals would serve as the beginning of the greatest rivalry in NBA history
In the 1962–63 NBA season, Baylor was back full-time. West averaged 27.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists and was again NBA All-Star and All-NBA First-Team; however, he played in only 55 regular season games, missing the last seven weeks due to a hamstring injury. Again, the Lakers reached the finals
, and again, they battled the Celtics. With West not yet in shape, Baylor and the Lakers fell back 3–2; then they succumbed in Game 6 in front of their home crowd with a 112–109 loss. As the game ended, veteran Celtics playmaker Bob Cousy
threw the ball high into the rafters of the L.A. Sports Arena.
In the following 1963–64 NBA season, West for the first time became the Lakers' scoring leader, his 28.7 points per game eclipsing the 25.4 by Baylor, who stated that he suffered from knee problems. The Lakers struggled during the entire season, winning only 42 games, and were beaten in the first round of the 1964 NBA Playoffs
by the Hawks in five games.
In the following 1964–65 NBA season, West averaged 31.0 points (at the time, a career-high), only surpassed by perennial scoring champion Wilt Chamberlain
. After ending the regular season with 49 wins, L.A. played the Baltimore Bullets
in the first round of the 1965 NBA Playoffs
, but then team captain Baylor suffered a career-threatening knee injury. West spectacularly took over Baylor's leader role, as he scored 49 points and willed the shocked Lakers to the win. In Game 2, Baltimore was unable to stop the Lakers guard, who scored 52 points and almost scored half of L.A.'s points in the 118–115 win. The Bullets took their two home games, despite West scoring 44 and 48 points respectively, but in the decisive Game 5 in L.A., the guard helped beat the Bullets with 42 points in a close 117–115 win. West averaged 46.3 points per game, a figure that is still an NBA record. However, in the 1965 NBA Finals
, the Celtics easily beat the short-handed Lakers with 4–1. In Game 1, which Boston easily won, defensive Celtics guard K. C. Jones
kept West to only 26 points, and in Game 2, West scored 45 points, but Boston still won 129–123. In Game 3, West scored 49 points, and L.A. finally won a game, but in Games 4 and 5, the Lakers were beaten by double digits; in the last quarter of Game 5, West missed 14 of 15 shots and could not prevent yet another Celtics win. Still, the Lakers guard finished the playoffs with 40.6 points per game.
In the 1965–66 NBA season, West averaged a career-best 31.3 points, along with 7.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game and earning him yet another pair of All-Star Team and All-NBA First Team nominations. Winning 45 games, the Lakers beat the St. Louis Hawks in a close seven-game series
, and yet again met the Boston Celtics in the 1966 NBA Finals
. West was assisted by Baylor, who was a self-estimated "75 percent" of his pre-injury self, The two long-standing rivals split the first six games, with West's usual scoring dominance countered by Celtics forward John Havlicek
, whose size and speed created serious mismatch problems for the Lakers. In Game 7, West and Baylor shot a combined three of 18 in the first half, and the Lakers fell far behind; L.A. willed themselves back to a close 95–93 with four seconds left, but the Celtics ran the clock out and the Lakers were denied yet again.
The following 1966–67 NBA season saw West playing only 66 regular-season games due to injury; his averages fell slightly to 28.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. The Lakers had a disappointing season, winning only 36 games and getting swept by the San Francisco Warriors in the first round of the 1967 NBA Playoffs
. Veteran coach Fred Schaus retired, and Butch Van Breda Kolff took over; under his reign, the Lakers won 52 games in the 1967–68 NBA season in their first year in The Forum
. The 52 wins were accumulated despite West playing only 51 regular season games due to injury and scoring 26.3 points, the lowest average since his rookie year: after being a First-Teamer for six times en bloc, he only made the All-NBA Second Team.
In the 1968 NBA Playoffs
, the Lakers beat the Chicago Bulls
and the Warriors to set up yet another Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals
; it was considered a match of size versus speed, as the Lakers had nobody to counter Celtics coach/center Bill Russell
or forward John Havlicek close to the basket, but the Celtics in return had difficulties guarding prolific L.A. outside shooters Baylor, West and fellow guard Gail Goodrich
. In Game 1, West only hit seven of 24 shots, and the Lakers lost 107–101, but L.A. evened out the series at two games each. But West, who had scored 38 points in a Game 4 win, had sprained his ankle and did not play at full strength the rest of the series. In Game 5, an injured West scored 35 points, but Boston won by three points. In Game 6, Havlicek shredded the Lakers with 40 points, and after yet another Celtics loss, West commented that the Lakers lost two games they should have won: "We gave them the first game, and we gave them the fifth. But I take nothing from them… They're all that way on the Celtics, and you can't teach it."
On July 9, 1968, the Lakers made a trade which brought reigning NBA Most Valuable Player
Wilt Chamberlain
of the Philadelphia 76ers
to Los Angeles at the beginning of the 1968–69 NBA season. To get the center, the Lakers traded West's backcourt partner Archie Clark, reserve pivot Darrall Imhoff
and backup forward Jerry Chambers
to Philadelphia. Coach Van Breda Kolff was concerned about the drain at the guard positions: after losing Clark, and especially after losing Goodrich due to the expansion draft of the Phoenix Suns
, he only had diminutive, defensively weak Johnny Egan
left next to West. While West himself got on well with the new recruit, Chamberlain often argued with team captain Elgin Baylor and had a terrible relationship with Van Breda Kolff. Van Breda Kolff pejoratively called Chamberlain "The Load", and later complained that Chamberlain was egotistical, never respected him, too often slacked off in practice and focused too much on his own statistics. In return, the center blasted Van Breda Kolff as "the dumbest and worst coach ever". Once, Chamberlain would have punched his coach if Baylor had not intervened. West was clearly disturbed by this locker room tension; used to playing in teams with good chemistry, his game became erratic, and he posted a career-low 25.9 points. However, he made the Second Team of the inaugural All-Defensive Team.
In the 1969 NBA Playoffs
, the 55-win Lakers disposed of the Atlanta Hawks
and the San Francisco Warriors, setting up the sixth finals series versus Boston in eight years
. Prior to Game 1, West privately complained to Bill Russell of exhaustion, but then the Lakers guard scored 53 points on Boston in a close two-point win. L.A. also took Game 2, with West scoring 41 points. In Game 3, Russell decided to double-team West, and the guard's exhaustion finally took its toll: West asked twice to be subbed for longer periods, and both times the Lakers fell back by double digits and finally lost by six points. Game 4 saw Celtics guard Sam Jones hit a off-balance buzzer beater
to tie the series, but in Game 5, the Lakers struck back and won by 13 points; however, they suffered a major blow when West – who scored 39 points and by far led all players in scoring during the entire series – lunged for a meaningless late-game ball and seriously pulled his hamstring: it was immediately visible that the injury would not heal until the end of the series. A limping West scored 26 points in Game 6, but the Celtics won 99–90 with a strong Bill Russell, who held Chamberlain to only eight points in the entire game. In Game 7, Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke had put up thousands of balloons in the rafters of the Forum in Los Angeles. This display of arrogance motivated the Celtics and angered West. The Lakers trailed the entire game and were behind 91-76 after 3 quarters, but powered by a limping West, the Lakers closed the gap to 103-102 with two minutes to go and had the ball. But West committed costly turnovers and L.A. lost the game 108–106 despite a triple-double 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists from West, who became the only winner of the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award from the losing team. After the loss, West was seen as the ultimate tragic hero: after the game, Bill Russell held his hand, and John Havlicek said: "I love you, Jerry".
In the 1969–70 NBA season under new coach Joe Mullaney, the Lakers' season began with a shock when Wilt Chamberlain seriously injured his knee and missed practically the whole regular season. As after Baylor's injury years before, West stepped into the void, leading the NBA in scoring average with 31.2 points per game, and averaging 4.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game, earning him his first of four All-Defensive First Team vote and another All-NBA First Team berth after two Second Team years. The Lakers won 46 games, and in the 1970 NBA Playoffs
, they narrowly beat the Phoenix Suns
in seven games and swept the Hawks in four, setting up the first NBA Finals
between the Lakers and the rugged New York Knicks
, led by Hall-of-Famers, such as Willis Reed
, Dave DeBusschere
, Bill Bradley
, and Walt Frazier
. L.A. and N.Y. split the first two games, with both games respectively decided by centers Reed and the still-hobbling Chamberlain. In Game 3, DeBusschere hit a mid-range jump shot with three seconds left to put the Knicks ahead 102–100, and the Lakers had no time-outs left. Chamberlain inbounded the ball to West, who raced past Walt Frazier and threw up a 60-foot shot. Frazier later commented: "The man's crazy. He looks determined. He thinks it's really going in!" West incredibly connected, and this basket was later called one of the greatest moments ever by the NBA. As the three-point line had not been introduced yet, the shot just tied the game. In overtime, West however sprained his left hand and missed all five of his shots, and the Knicks won 111-108. In Game 4, the guard scored 37 points and 18 assists, and the Lakers won. However, more frustration awaited West in Game 5, when Reed pulled his thigh muscle and seemed out for the series; instead of capitalising on a double-digit lead and reeling off an easy win, the Lakers committed 19 second half turnovers, and the two main scorers Chamberlain and West shot the ball only three and two times, respectively, in the entire second half and lost 107-100 in what was called one of the greatest comebacks in NBA Finals history. After Chamberlain scored 45 points and West 31 points plus 13 assists in a series-equalising 135-113 Lakers win, the Lakers seemed favorites prior to Game 7. However, West had also injured his right hand and received several manual injections, and Reed famously hobbled up court prior to Game 7: the Knicks center scored the first four points, and inspired his team to one of the most famous playoff upsets of all time. With his injured hands, West still hit nine of his 19 shots, but was outplayed by Walt Frazier, who scored 36 points and 19 assists and was credited with several crucial steals on Lakers guard Dick Garrett
.
In the 1970–71 NBA season, the Lakers resigned Gail Goodrich
, who came back from the Phoenix Suns
after playing for L.A. until 1968. At age 32, West averaged 27.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 9.5 assists, and helped the Lakers win 46 games and make the 1971 NBA Playoffs
. After losing Elgin Baylor to an Achilles tendon rupture that effectively ended his career, West himself injured his knee and was out for the season; the short-handed Lakers lost the Western Conference Finals
in five games to the championship-bound Milwaukee Bucks
. The Milwaukee Bucks featured freshly crowned Most Valuable Player Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
) and veteran Hall-of-Fame guard Oscar Robertson
.
, West was smarting from his frequent injuries and losses and considered retirement. The Lakers hired former Celtics star guard and future Hall-of-Fame coach Bill Sharman
as head coach. Although injured captain Elgin Baylor
ended his career, the Lakers had a season for the ages: powered by Sharman's emphasis on tough defense and fast break offense, L.A. embarked on an unprecedented 33 game win streak, en route to a then-record 69 wins in the regular season. West himself contributed with 25.8 points and leading the league with a career-high 9.7 assists per game, was named All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defense First Teamer and voted 1972 All-Star Game MVP.
In the post-season, the Lakers defeated the Chicago Bulls
in a four game sweep, then went on to face the Milwaukee Bucks
, and defeated them in six games. In the 1972 NBA Finals
, the Lakers again met the New York Knicks. Although West suffered a terrible shooting slump during Games 1 and 2, the Lakers tied the series at one win each, and in Game 3, he scored 21 points and helped L.A. win Game 3. In this game, he now had scored 4,002 playoff points, which set an all-time NBA record. After winning Game 4 due to a superb Wilt Chamberlain, West scored 23 points in Game 5, and he won the game and their first-ever NBA title. West conceded that he had played a terrible series, and credited the team for the success. Years later he said "I played terrible basketball in the Finals, and we won… It was particularly frustrating because I was playing so poorly that the team overcame me. Maybe that's what a team is all about."
Now having vanquished this long-time bane, West entered his 13th NBA year. In the 1972–73 NBA season, the main scoring role was taken by Goodrich, and West was now a playmaker instead of a scorer. However, West averaged 22.8 points, but also averaged 8.8 assists per game, and again was a First Teamer in the All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defense Teams. The Lakers won 60 games and reached the 1973 NBA Finals
against the New York Knicks. In Game 1 West scored 24 points before fouling out with three minutes left and L.A. won Game 1 with 115–112. However, the Knicks took Games 2 and 3, and West strained both of his hamstrings: in Game 4, the shorthanded Lakers were no match for New York, and in Game 5, the valiant, but injured West and Hairston had miserable games, and despite Chamberlain scoring 23 points and grabbing 21 rebounds, the Lakers lost 102–93 and the series.
The following 1973–74 NBA season was to be West's last. Now 36 years old, the veteran guard averaged 20.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game. In two newly introduced statistics, steals and blocks, he was credited with 2.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. Despite playing only 31 games due to a strained groin, West was still regarded as an elite guard, earning another callup into his final All-Star Game. Without Chamberlain, who had ended his NBA career, the Lakers won 47 games and lost in five games to the Milwaukee Bucks. After this loss, West retired due to contract disagreements with Cooke, and filed a suit for unpaid back wages. West wanted to re-negotiate his contract and keep playing, however he said Cooke "basically told my agent to go to hell. I felt I was deceived. When you feel that you’re deceived you don’t want any part of the organization that deceived you. I could’ve played another very good year. Every athlete says that. But I could’ve, and I knew I could’ve. But I could never have played for the Lakers again, and I wasn’t going to play for anybody else." At the time of his departure, West had scored more points than any Laker in NBA history.
of the Lakers prior to the 1982–83 season. NBA.com credits West in creating the great 1980s Lakers dynasty, which brought five championship rings (1980,1982,1985,1987,and 1988) to Los Angeles. After a slump in the early 1990s, West rebuilt the team of coach Del Harris
around center Vlade Divac
and guard Nick Van Exel
, which won 48 games, and went to the Western Conference Semifinals
; for turning the team around, West received his first Executive of the Year Award
. By trading Vlade Divac for Kobe Bryant
, signing free agent
center Shaquille O'Neal
, and signing six-time NBA champion Phil Jackson
as a coach, West laid down the fundaments of the Lakers three-peat
which saw L.A. win three NBA titles from 2000 to 2002.
In 2002, West became general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies
. He explained his decision with the desire for exploring something new: "After being a part of the Lakers success for so many years, I have always wondered how it would be to build a winning franchise that has not experienced much success. I want to help make a difference." West's Memphis stint was not as spectacular as his Los Angeles stint, but he turned a franchise which was about to be sold into a reliable playoffs team, practically making no trades but getting the maximum from the players he had available (e.g. Pau Gasol
, James Posey
and Jason Williams) and signing coach Hubie Brown
, who became Coach of the Year in 2004. West himself won his second NBA Executive of the Year Award in the same year. At age 69, West retired as a Grizzlies general manager in 2007 and turned over managing duties to Chris Wallace
, from Buckhannon, West Virginia
.
On May 19, 2011, it was announced that West had agreed to join the Golden State Warriors
as a head consultant, under new owner Joe Lacob
. This role also came with an undisclosed minority ownership stake in the team as well.
, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain surpass his 27.0 points per game average. He led the Lakers in scoring in seven seasons, and was universally seen as one of the greatest clutch players in NBA history; only Jordan had a higher career scoring average in the playoffs (33.5 versus 29.1). In 1979, West was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Lakers retired his #44 jersey in 1983. In March 2008, ESPN
voted West the third greatest shooting guard of all time. As a coach, West led the Lakers into three consecutive playoff campaigns, and then went on to win seven NBA championships as a general manager, building the 1980s Lakers dynasty under coach Pat Riley
and players Magic Johnson
, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy
and the 2000s under coach Phil Jackson and players Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.
In the summer of 2000, the city of Morgantown, West Virginia
, and West Virginia Governor Cecil Underwood, dedicated the road outside of the West Virginia University Coliseum
, "Jerry West Boulevard." The same road is shared on the south end of Morgantown with Don Knotts
Boulevard, in honor of another WVU alumnus. Also, on November 26, 2005, his number 44 became the first basketball number to be retired by West Virginia University
and on February 17, 2007, a bronze statue of him was honored outside of the WVU Coliseum. On February 17, 2011, a Jerry West statue was unveiled outside Staples Center at the Star Plaza in Los Angeles, California. Finally, the NBA logo itself is modelled after West's silhouette.
and score like a shooting guard
, while being equally strong on offense and on defense. He had a jump shot with a release the NBA lauded as "lightning quick", and was known for making baskets late in the game, earning him the nickname "Mr. Clutch". Having played forward early in his career, West was also a capable rebounder, and gifted with long arms, quick hands and strong defensive instincts, West was also one described as one of the best ball hawks, man-to-man defenders and shot blockers among NBA guards: when the All-Defensive Teams were introduced in 1969, West made every one of them until his career ended in 1974. "He stole more than anybody, although they didn't keep records on it then," said Sharman. However, contemporaries were most impressed by West's work ethic, obsessively practicing and shooting and rarely being satisfied with himself.
West's all-round game and attitude is maybe best expressed in his statistically most spectacular game: he once was credited with 44 points (16 of 17 shots from the field, 12 of 12 free throw attempts) with 12 rebounds, 12 assists and (unofficially counted) 10 blocked shots, thus scoring a non-official ultra-rare quadruple double. Instead of being proud, West merely commented: "Defensively, from a team standpoint, I didn't feel I played very well. Very rarely was I satisfied with how I played."
As a person, West was often described as an introverted and nervous character, but who also drew highest praise for his uncompromising work ethic. Regarding his shyness, WVU room mate Jody Gardner testified that West never dated in his entire freshman year, and Lakers coach Fred Schaus
once recalled a two-week period when his guard never said a word. Apart from being shy, West was always restless: Schaus described him as a "bundle of nerves", Celtics contemporary Bob Cousy
as "always on the move", and fellow Laker and Mountaineer Rod Hundley
testified that during bar visits, West would quickly squirm and demand to go elsewhere before everybody else had settled. His first wife Martha Kane recalled that her husband often had difficulties opening up to her. After a big loss, the Wests would drive home and she would try to console him, but West would say "get out" at the home porch and drive away—an experience that "killed" her as a wife.
Early in his career, West's West Virginian roots made him target for some mild jeering. He spoke with a high pitched voice that became even shriller when he became excited, so that Lakers captain Elgin Baylor dubbed West "Tweety Bird". His Appalachian accent was so thick that one coach interrupted him and asked him to speak English. Baylor once commented: "Rumors are safe with you, Tweety Bird. You pass them on, but nobody can understand you."
West was also regarded for his extreme mental toughness and his exemplary work ethic. The NBA described West as "obsessive perfectionism, unabashed confidence, and an uncompromising will to win… a level of intensity so high it could melt lead". Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn
once said: "He took a loss harder than any player I've ever known. He would sit by himself and stare into space. A loss just ripped his guts out." Even before his sole championship in 1972, the Lakers held a "Jerry West Night", and eleven-time NBA champion and perennial rival Bill Russell appeared and said: "Jerry, you are, in every sense of the word, truly a champion… If I could have one wish granted, it would be that you would always be happy."
In 2011, West wrote, along with bestselling author Jonathan Coleman, a memoir entitled West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life, and revealed during a interview on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
, that he was the victim of physical abuse from his father as a child, and has suffered from depression ever since. The book has had tremendous critical acclaim and became an instant New York Times bestseller.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). His nicknames include "Mr. Clutch," for his ability to make a big play in a clutch situation, such as his famous buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
; "The Logo," in reference to his silhouette being incorporated into the NBA logo; and "Zeke from Cabin Creek," after the creek near his birthplace of Chelyan, West Virginia
Chelyan, West Virginia
Chelyan is an unincorporated census-designated place in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. Chelyan is located on the south bank of the Kanawha River southeast of Chesapeake. It is served by Exit 85 of the West Virginia Turnpike. As of the 2010 census, its population was 776.Former NBA...
. Playing the small forward
Small forward
The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
position early in his career, West was a standout at East Bank High School and at West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
, leading the WVU Mountaineers to the 1959 NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
championship game, earning Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
honors despite the loss. He then embarked on a 14-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and was the co-captain of the 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal team
1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team
The 1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team competed in the Games of the XVII Olympiad, representing the United States of America. The team, coached by California Golden Bears coach Pete Newell, dominated the competition, winning its games by an average of 42.4 points per game...
in Rome, a squad that would be inducted as a unit into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
West’s NBA career was highly successful. Playing the guard position as a professional, he was voted 12 times into the All-NBA First and Second Teams, was elected into the NBA All-Star Team 14 times, and was chosen as the All-Star MVP in 1972, the same year that he won the only title of his career
1972 NBA Finals
The 1972 NBA Finals was played at the conclusion of the 1971–72 NBA season. The Western Conference Champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference Champion New York Knicks in five games...
. West holds the NBA record
NBA post-season records
This article lists all-time leading figures achieved in the NBA post-season in major statistical categories recognized by the league, including records set by teams and individuals in single games, seasons, and careers. NBA history also recognizes achievements from its original incarnation, the...
for the highest points per game average in a playoff
NBA Playoffs
The National Basketball Association Playoffs is a best-of-seven elimination tournament among sixteen teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference , ultimately deciding the final four teams who will play in the NBA Conference Finals.-Format:Following the NBA regular season, eight teams in...
series with 46.3. He was also a member of the first four NBA All-Defensive Team
NBA All-Defensive Team
The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; the coaches are not allowed to vote for players on their own team...
s, which were introduced when he was 32 years old. Having played in nine NBA Finals, he is also the only player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP despite being on the losing team (1969). West was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980 and voted as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history in 1996.
After his playing career, West was head coach of the Lakers for three years, leading Los Angeles into the playoffs each year and earning a Western Conference Finals berth once. Working as a player-scout for three years, West was named General Manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the Lakers prior to the 1982–83 NBA season. Under his reign, Los Angeles won seven championship rings. In 2002, West became General Manager of the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
and helped the franchise win their first-ever playoff berths. For his contributions, West won the NBA Executive of the Year Award
NBA Executive of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Executive of the Year Award is an annual award given since the 1972–73 NBA season, to the league's best general managers. Before 2009, the Executive of the Year is presented annually by Sporting News, although it is officially recognized by the NBA. Since then,...
twice, once as a Lakers manager (1995) and then as a Grizzlies manager (2004). West's son, Jonnie, played college basketball for the West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia Mountaineers
The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams of West Virginia University. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference. On July 1, 2012 the Mountaineers will switch conferences, moving from the Big East to the Big 12, becoming...
team.
Early life
Jerry Alan West was born into a poor household in Chelyan, West Virginia. He was the fifth of six children of his mother Cecil Sue West, a housewife, and her husband Howard Stewart West, a coal mine electrician. West was a shy, introverted boy, who became even more withdrawn when his closest brother David died in the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
at age 22 when Jerry was 12. He was so small and frail that he needed vitamin injections from his doctor and was kept apart from children's sports, to prevent him from getting seriously hurt. Growing up, West spent his days hunting and fishing, but his main distraction was shooting at a basketball hoop that a neighbor had nailed to his storage shed. West spent years shooting baskets from every possible angle, ignoring mud and snow in the backyard, as well as his mother's lashes when he came home hours late for dinner; he played so often that the NBA acknowledged it as "obsessive".
High school
West attended high school in East Bank, West VirginiaEast Bank, West Virginia
East Bank is a town in Kanawha County, West Virginia, along the Kanawha River. The population was 933 at the 2000 census. East Bank was incorporated in 1889 by special charter enacted by the West Virginia Legislature. It is so named because of its location east of Coalburg and the "bank" referring...
from 1952 to 1956. During his first year, he was mostly benched by his coach Duke Shaver due to his lack of height. Shaver emphasized the importance of conditioning and defense, lessons which the teenager appreciated. Soon, West became the captain of the freshman team and, during the summer of 1953, he grew to . Eventually becoming the team's starting small forward
Small forward
The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
, West quickly established himself as one of the finest West Virginian high school players of his generation. He was named All-State from 1953–56, then All-American in 1956 when he was West Virginia Player of the Year, becoming the state's first high-school player to score more than 900 points in a season, with an average of 32.2 points per game. West's mid-range jump shot became his trademark and he often used it to score while under pressure from opposing defense. West led East Bank to a state championship on March 24 that year, prompting East Bank High School to change its name to "West Bank High School" every year on March 24 in honor of their basketball prodigy, until its closure in 1999.
West Virginia Mountaineers
After graduating from high school in 1956, more than 60 universities showed interest in West, and he eventually chose to attend West Virginia UniversityWest Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
(WVU), located in Morgantown
Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia. It is the county seat of Monongalia County. Placed along the banks of the Monongahela River, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and the base of the Morgantown metropolitan area...
. In his freshman year (1956–57), West was a member of the WVU freshman squad that achieved a perfect record of 17 wins without a loss over the course of the season. In his first varsity year under head coach Fred Schaus
Fred Schaus
Frederick Appleton Schaus was an American basketball player, head coach and athletic director for the West Virginia University Mountaineers, player for the NBA's Fort Wayne Pistons and New York Knicks, general manager and head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, head coach of Purdue University...
, West scored 17.8 points per game and averaged 11.1 rebounds; he also started in all 28 games while shooting 49.6% from the field and 73.2% from the free throw line. These performances earned him a multitude of honors, among them an All-American Third Team call-up; First Team All-Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
; Southern Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player Award and First Team honors; Chuck Taylor
Chuck Taylor (salesman)
Charles Hollis "Chuck" Taylor was an American basketball player and shoe salesman/evangelist. He is best known for his association with the Chuck Taylor All-Stars sneaker, the most successful selling basketball shoe in history...
-Converse Second-team All-American honors; and Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
Third-team All-American honors. The Mountaineers went 26–2 that year, ending the season with a loss to Manhattan College
Manhattan College
Manhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City, United States. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers...
in post-season tournament play.
During his junior year (1958–59), West scored 26.6 points per game and grabbed 12.3 rebounds per game. He tied the NCAA five-game tournament record of 160 points (32.0 points per game) and led all scorers and rebounders in every West Virginia game, including getting 28 points and 11 rebounds in a 71–70 loss to California in the final. West was named Most Outstanding Player of that year's Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
. Further awards were All-American, Southern Conference Tournament MVP and Southern Conference Player of the Year and Athlete of the Year. He was also named to be a member of the U.S. Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
basketball team which won the gold medal. West demonstrated his tenacity to the game in a match against the Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
; an incident in the game broke his nose, but he continued playing despite intense pain and having to breath through his mouth. He scored 19 points in the second-half, leading WVU to an upset victory.
In his final collegiate season (1959–60) West averaged several career highs, such as scoring 29.3 points per game, a 134 season-assists, 16.5 rebounds per game, and a shooting average of 50.4% from the field, 76.6% from the free throw line. He was honored again with several awards: a call-up to the All-American selection, and being voted Southern Conference MVP. West's best performance was a game against Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, in which he grabbed 16 rebounds and scored 40 points. Moreover, during that final year, he had 30 double-doubles and fifteen 30-point games. In his collegiate career, West totaled 2,309 points and 1,240 rebounds. He averaged 24.8 points per game and 13.3 rebounds. As of 2011, West holds 12 WVU all-time records. Along with Oscar Robertson
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson , nicknamed "The Big O", is a former American NBA player with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks...
, West co-captained the U.S. men's basketball team at the 1960 Summer Olympics
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
and won the gold medal.
"Mr. Inside" and "Mr. Outside"
West then made himself available for the 1960 NBA Draft1960 NBA Draft
The 1960 NBA Draft was the 14th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 11, 1960 before the 1960–61 season. In this draft, eight NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year college...
, and was drafted with the 2nd overall pick by the Minneapolis Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, shortly before the team relocated to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. West became the first draft pick ever of the relocated franchise. His college coach was also hired to coach the Lakers. He played West as a guard, in contrast to West's college days as a forward. The Lakers were captained by Hall-of-Fame forward Elgin Baylor
Elgin Baylor
Elgin Gay Baylor is a retired Hall of Fame American basketball player and former NBA general manager who played 13 seasons as a forward for the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers/Los Angeles Lakers....
, who was complemented by centers Jim Krebs
Jim Krebs
James Krebs was an American basketball player. A 6'8" power forward/center, he starred for the SMU Mustangs during the mid-1950s and later played with the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA. He died in a freak tree falling accident at the age of 29.-Early life and college:Krebs was born in...
and Ray Felix
Ray Felix
Raymond Darlington Felix was an American professional basketball player. He was born in New York City. He played college basketball at Long Island University....
; forwards Rudy LaRusso
Rudy LaRusso
Rudolph "Rudy" A. LaRusso was an American 6' 7" five-time National Basketball Association All-Star.-Early life:He attended James Madison High School in Brooklyn...
and Tom Hawkins
Tom Hawkins (basketball)
Thomas Jerome Hawkins is a retired American professional basketball player....
; and guards Rod Hundley
Rod Hundley
Rodney Clark "Rod" Hundley is a former professional basketball player and television broadcaster. Hundley's life has revolved around the game of basketball. His love and talent for the game led him to achieve honors in high school and most notably during his college years...
(from West Virginia, like West), Frank Selvy, and Bob Leonard. This team perennially had strong forwards and guards, but was constantly weak at center, giving them a disadvantage against the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
with their Hall-of-Fame center, Bill Russell
Bill Russell
William Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
.
Initially, West felt odd in his new environment. He was a loner. His high-pitched voice earned him the nickname "Tweety Bird", and he spoke with such a thick Appalachian accent that his teammates also referred to him as "Zeke from Cabin Creek" (his nickname acknowledged his country roots, and his accent was so thick that he squeaked his nickname sheepishly - "Zeek fr'm Cab'n Creek"). However, West soon impressed his colleagues with his defensive hustle, with his vertical jump—he could reach up 16 inches above the rim when he went up—and with his work ethic, spending countless extra hours working on his game. On the floor, West scored 17.6 points, grabbed 7.7 rebounds and gave 4.2 assists per game. West won Schaus's trust and, alternating with Hundley, Selvy, and Leonard, played 35 minutes per game and established himself as the Lakers' second scoring option. The NBA commented that the Lakers now had a potent one-two-punch—with "Mr. Inside" (the low-post scorer, Baylor) and "Mr. Outside" (the long-distance shooter, West). These performances soon earned West his first of fourteen NBA All-Star Game call-ups.
West helped the Lakers improve from their previous 25-win season to 36 wins as they reached the 1961 NBA Playoffs
1961 NBA Playoffs
The 1961 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1960-61 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion St. Louis Hawks, 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals.For the Celtics it was...
. They needed all five games to put away the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
; but then lost to the St. Louis Hawks in seven games, losing the final game 105–103.
In West's second NBA season, the Lakers could only make limited use of Baylor, who was called up by the U.S. Army Reserves and could play only 48 games. However, West seamlessly took over the role of team leader and established himself as the main Lakers scorer, averaging 30.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game, winning All-NBA First Team honors. West became known especially for hitting important late-game shots, and Lakers' announcer Chick Hearn
Chick Hearn
Francis Dayle "Chick" Hearn was an American sportscaster. Known primarily as the long-time play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, the legendary Hearn is remembered for his rapid fire, staccato broadcasting style, inventing colorful phrases such...
named him "Mr. Clutch" a handle which stuck with West for his entire career.
The Lakers won 54 regular season games and secured a first-round bye in the 1962 NBA Playoffs
1962 NBA Playoffs
The 1962 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1961-1962 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers, four games to three in the NBA Finals.The Celtics won...
. They beat the Pistons four games to two to advance to the 1962 NBA Finals
1962 NBA Finals
The 1962 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1961-62 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1962 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics...
against the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
. The teams split the first two games, and at the end of Game 3 in Los Angeles, West tied the game at 115. The Celtics' Sam Jones
Sam Jones (basketball)
Samuel Jones is a retired American professional basketball player at shooting guard and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was known for his quickness and game-winning shots, especially during the NBA Playoffs...
inbounded the ball at half-court with three seconds left. West stole the ball, raced upcourt, and converted a running layup
Layup
A layup in basketball is a two-point shot attempt made by leaping from below, laying the ball up near the basket, and using one hand to bounce it off the backboard and into the basket. The motion and one-handed reach distinguish it from a jump shot. The layup is considered the most basic shot in...
as the buzzer sounded. The Celtics tied the series in Game 6 at three games apiece, and the teams headed to Boston for Game 7. For most of the game, the Lakers trailed, but West and Frank Selvy hit several clutch baskets and tied the game at 100. Selvy then missed an open 8-foot shot which would have won the Lakers their first title. Baylor's tip-in attempt was thwarted by Sam Jones. In overtime, Jones scored several clutch baskets to ensure a 110–107 win for the Celtics. The 1962 NBA finals would serve as the beginning of the greatest rivalry in NBA history
In the 1962–63 NBA season, Baylor was back full-time. West averaged 27.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists and was again NBA All-Star and All-NBA First-Team; however, he played in only 55 regular season games, missing the last seven weeks due to a hamstring injury. Again, the Lakers reached the finals
1962 NBA Finals
The 1962 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1961-62 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1962 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics...
, and again, they battled the Celtics. With West not yet in shape, Baylor and the Lakers fell back 3–2; then they succumbed in Game 6 in front of their home crowd with a 112–109 loss. As the game ended, veteran Celtics playmaker Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy
Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'1" , 175-pound Cousy played point guard with the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics from 1951 to 1963 and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals in the 1969–70 season...
threw the ball high into the rafters of the L.A. Sports Arena.
In the following 1963–64 NBA season, West for the first time became the Lakers' scoring leader, his 28.7 points per game eclipsing the 25.4 by Baylor, who stated that he suffered from knee problems. The Lakers struggled during the entire season, winning only 42 games, and were beaten in the first round of the 1964 NBA Playoffs
1964 NBA Playoffs
The 1964 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1963-1964 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion San Francisco Warriors, four games to one in the NBA Finals.Boston earned...
by the Hawks in five games.
Leader of the Lakers
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
. After ending the regular season with 49 wins, L.A. played the Baltimore Bullets
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
in the first round of the 1965 NBA Playoffs
1965 NBA Playoffs
The 1965 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1964-1965 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers, four games to one in the NBA Finals.The Celtics won...
, but then team captain Baylor suffered a career-threatening knee injury. West spectacularly took over Baylor's leader role, as he scored 49 points and willed the shocked Lakers to the win. In Game 2, Baltimore was unable to stop the Lakers guard, who scored 52 points and almost scored half of L.A.'s points in the 118–115 win. The Bullets took their two home games, despite West scoring 44 and 48 points respectively, but in the decisive Game 5 in L.A., the guard helped beat the Bullets with 42 points in a close 117–115 win. West averaged 46.3 points per game, a figure that is still an NBA record. However, in the 1965 NBA Finals
1965 NBA Finals
The 1965 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1964-65 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1965 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics...
, the Celtics easily beat the short-handed Lakers with 4–1. In Game 1, which Boston easily won, defensive Celtics guard K. C. Jones
K. C. Jones
K. C. Jones is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. K. C. Jones is his full name.-Playing career:...
kept West to only 26 points, and in Game 2, West scored 45 points, but Boston still won 129–123. In Game 3, West scored 49 points, and L.A. finally won a game, but in Games 4 and 5, the Lakers were beaten by double digits; in the last quarter of Game 5, West missed 14 of 15 shots and could not prevent yet another Celtics win. Still, the Lakers guard finished the playoffs with 40.6 points per game.
In the 1965–66 NBA season, West averaged a career-best 31.3 points, along with 7.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game and earning him yet another pair of All-Star Team and All-NBA First Team nominations. Winning 45 games, the Lakers beat the St. Louis Hawks in a close seven-game series
1966 NBA Playoffs
The 1966 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1965-1966 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers, four games to three in the NBA Finals.The Celtics won...
, and yet again met the Boston Celtics in the 1966 NBA Finals
1966 NBA Finals
This was the iconic Boston Celtics' 8th consecutive NBA Championship--no other team in any sport has won eight consecutive league titles in American competition...
. West was assisted by Baylor, who was a self-estimated "75 percent" of his pre-injury self, The two long-standing rivals split the first six games, with West's usual scoring dominance countered by Celtics forward John Havlicek
John Havlicek
John J. "Hondo" Havlicek is a retired American professional basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA titles, half of them coming in his first four seasons....
, whose size and speed created serious mismatch problems for the Lakers. In Game 7, West and Baylor shot a combined three of 18 in the first half, and the Lakers fell far behind; L.A. willed themselves back to a close 95–93 with four seconds left, but the Celtics ran the clock out and the Lakers were denied yet again.
The following 1966–67 NBA season saw West playing only 66 regular-season games due to injury; his averages fell slightly to 28.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. The Lakers had a disappointing season, winning only 36 games and getting swept by the San Francisco Warriors in the first round of the 1967 NBA Playoffs
1967 NBA Playoffs
The 1967 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1966-1967 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Philadelphia 76ers defeating the Western Division champion San Francisco Warriors, four games to two in the NBA Finals.It was...
. Veteran coach Fred Schaus retired, and Butch Van Breda Kolff took over; under his reign, the Lakers won 52 games in the 1967–68 NBA season in their first year in The Forum
The Forum (Inglewood, California)
The Forum is an indoor arena, in Inglewood, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. From 2000 to 2010, it was owned by the Faithful Central Bible Church, which occasionally used it for church services, while also leasing the building for sporting events, concerts and other events.Along with Madison...
. The 52 wins were accumulated despite West playing only 51 regular season games due to injury and scoring 26.3 points, the lowest average since his rookie year: after being a First-Teamer for six times en bloc, he only made the All-NBA Second Team.
In the 1968 NBA Playoffs
1968 NBA Playoffs
The 1968 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1967–1968 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers, four games to two in the NBA Finals.The Celtics won...
, the Lakers beat the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
and the Warriors to set up yet another Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals
1968 NBA Finals
The 1968 NBA Finals pitted the Boston Celtics from the East, against the Los Angeles Lakers from the West, for the sixth time in ten years. The Celtics won their tenth NBA Championship in twelve seasons, by defeating the Lakers in six games...
; it was considered a match of size versus speed, as the Lakers had nobody to counter Celtics coach/center Bill Russell
Bill Russell
William Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
or forward John Havlicek close to the basket, but the Celtics in return had difficulties guarding prolific L.A. outside shooters Baylor, West and fellow guard Gail Goodrich
Gail Goodrich
Gail Charles Goodrich Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He is best-known for scoring a then record 42 points in the 1965 NCAA championship game vs. Michigan, and his part in the Los Angeles Lakers' 1971–72 season...
. In Game 1, West only hit seven of 24 shots, and the Lakers lost 107–101, but L.A. evened out the series at two games each. But West, who had scored 38 points in a Game 4 win, had sprained his ankle and did not play at full strength the rest of the series. In Game 5, an injured West scored 35 points, but Boston won by three points. In Game 6, Havlicek shredded the Lakers with 40 points, and after yet another Celtics loss, West commented that the Lakers lost two games they should have won: "We gave them the first game, and we gave them the fifth. But I take nothing from them… They're all that way on the Celtics, and you can't teach it."
Arrival of Wilt Chamberlain
NBA Most Valuable Player Award
The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement...
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
of the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
to Los Angeles at the beginning of the 1968–69 NBA season. To get the center, the Lakers traded West's backcourt partner Archie Clark, reserve pivot Darrall Imhoff
Darrall Imhoff
Darrall Tucker Imhoff is an American former professional basketball player. He spent twelve seasons in the NBA , playing for half a dozen teams...
and backup forward Jerry Chambers
Jerry Chambers
Jerome Purcell "Jerry" Chambers is a retired American professional basketball player. At 6'5" and 185 pounds, he played as a forward....
to Philadelphia. Coach Van Breda Kolff was concerned about the drain at the guard positions: after losing Clark, and especially after losing Goodrich due to the expansion draft of the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
, he only had diminutive, defensively weak Johnny Egan
Johnny Egan
John Francis "Johnny" Egan is a retired American professional basketball player and coach.A 5' 11" guard from Weaver High School and Providence College, he played 11 seasons in the NBA, spending time with the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Baltimore Bullets, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland...
left next to West. While West himself got on well with the new recruit, Chamberlain often argued with team captain Elgin Baylor and had a terrible relationship with Van Breda Kolff. Van Breda Kolff pejoratively called Chamberlain "The Load", and later complained that Chamberlain was egotistical, never respected him, too often slacked off in practice and focused too much on his own statistics. In return, the center blasted Van Breda Kolff as "the dumbest and worst coach ever". Once, Chamberlain would have punched his coach if Baylor had not intervened. West was clearly disturbed by this locker room tension; used to playing in teams with good chemistry, his game became erratic, and he posted a career-low 25.9 points. However, he made the Second Team of the inaugural All-Defensive Team.
In the 1969 NBA Playoffs
1969 NBA Playoffs
The 1969 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1968–1969 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers, four games to three in the NBA Finals.Despite...
, the 55-win Lakers disposed of the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
and the San Francisco Warriors, setting up the sixth finals series versus Boston in eight years
1969 NBA Finals
The 1969 NBA World Championship Series to determine the champion of the 1968-69 NBA season was played between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, the Lakers being heavily favored due to the presence of three formidable stars: Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, and Jerry West...
. Prior to Game 1, West privately complained to Bill Russell of exhaustion, but then the Lakers guard scored 53 points on Boston in a close two-point win. L.A. also took Game 2, with West scoring 41 points. In Game 3, Russell decided to double-team West, and the guard's exhaustion finally took its toll: West asked twice to be subbed for longer periods, and both times the Lakers fell back by double digits and finally lost by six points. Game 4 saw Celtics guard Sam Jones hit a off-balance buzzer beater
Buzzer beater
In basketball, a buzzer beater is a shot taken just before the game clock of a period expires, when the buzzer sounds. The term is normally reserved for baskets that win or tie the game, but also refers to shots that beat an end-of-quarter or halftime buzzer...
to tie the series, but in Game 5, the Lakers struck back and won by 13 points; however, they suffered a major blow when West – who scored 39 points and by far led all players in scoring during the entire series – lunged for a meaningless late-game ball and seriously pulled his hamstring: it was immediately visible that the injury would not heal until the end of the series. A limping West scored 26 points in Game 6, but the Celtics won 99–90 with a strong Bill Russell, who held Chamberlain to only eight points in the entire game. In Game 7, Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke had put up thousands of balloons in the rafters of the Forum in Los Angeles. This display of arrogance motivated the Celtics and angered West. The Lakers trailed the entire game and were behind 91-76 after 3 quarters, but powered by a limping West, the Lakers closed the gap to 103-102 with two minutes to go and had the ball. But West committed costly turnovers and L.A. lost the game 108–106 despite a triple-double 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists from West, who became the only winner of the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award from the losing team. After the loss, West was seen as the ultimate tragic hero: after the game, Bill Russell held his hand, and John Havlicek said: "I love you, Jerry".
In the 1969–70 NBA season under new coach Joe Mullaney, the Lakers' season began with a shock when Wilt Chamberlain seriously injured his knee and missed practically the whole regular season. As after Baylor's injury years before, West stepped into the void, leading the NBA in scoring average with 31.2 points per game, and averaging 4.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game, earning him his first of four All-Defensive First Team vote and another All-NBA First Team berth after two Second Team years. The Lakers won 46 games, and in the 1970 NBA Playoffs
1970 NBA Playoffs
The 1970 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1969-1970 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion New York Knicks defeating the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers, four games to three in the NBA Finals...
, they narrowly beat the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
in seven games and swept the Hawks in four, setting up the first NBA Finals
1970 NBA Finals
The 1970 NBA Finals was a best-of-7 series for the world championship of the National Basketball Association. It featured the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks and the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers...
between the Lakers and the rugged New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, led by Hall-of-Famers, such as Willis Reed
Willis Reed
Willis Reed, Jr. is a retired American basketball player, coach and manager of basketball teams. He spent his entire professional playing career with the New York Knicks. In 1982, his outstanding record and achievements were recognized by his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall...
, Dave DeBusschere
Dave DeBusschere
David Albert DeBusschere was an American NBA and major league baseball player and coach in the NBA. In 1996, DeBusschere was named as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history....
, Bill Bradley
Bill Bradley
William Warren "Bill" Bradley is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election.Bradley was born and raised in a suburb of St....
, and Walt Frazier
Walt Frazier
Walter "Clyde" Frazier is a retired American basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He was blessed with a unique combination of court vision, quickness, and size for a guard...
. L.A. and N.Y. split the first two games, with both games respectively decided by centers Reed and the still-hobbling Chamberlain. In Game 3, DeBusschere hit a mid-range jump shot with three seconds left to put the Knicks ahead 102–100, and the Lakers had no time-outs left. Chamberlain inbounded the ball to West, who raced past Walt Frazier and threw up a 60-foot shot. Frazier later commented: "The man's crazy. He looks determined. He thinks it's really going in!" West incredibly connected, and this basket was later called one of the greatest moments ever by the NBA. As the three-point line had not been introduced yet, the shot just tied the game. In overtime, West however sprained his left hand and missed all five of his shots, and the Knicks won 111-108. In Game 4, the guard scored 37 points and 18 assists, and the Lakers won. However, more frustration awaited West in Game 5, when Reed pulled his thigh muscle and seemed out for the series; instead of capitalising on a double-digit lead and reeling off an easy win, the Lakers committed 19 second half turnovers, and the two main scorers Chamberlain and West shot the ball only three and two times, respectively, in the entire second half and lost 107-100 in what was called one of the greatest comebacks in NBA Finals history. After Chamberlain scored 45 points and West 31 points plus 13 assists in a series-equalising 135-113 Lakers win, the Lakers seemed favorites prior to Game 7. However, West had also injured his right hand and received several manual injections, and Reed famously hobbled up court prior to Game 7: the Knicks center scored the first four points, and inspired his team to one of the most famous playoff upsets of all time. With his injured hands, West still hit nine of his 19 shots, but was outplayed by Walt Frazier, who scored 36 points and 19 assists and was credited with several crucial steals on Lakers guard Dick Garrett
Dick Garrett
Eldo "Dick" Garrett is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'3" guard from Southern Illinois University, Garrett was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 27th overall pick of the 1969 NBA Draft...
.
In the 1970–71 NBA season, the Lakers resigned Gail Goodrich
Gail Goodrich
Gail Charles Goodrich Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He is best-known for scoring a then record 42 points in the 1965 NCAA championship game vs. Michigan, and his part in the Los Angeles Lakers' 1971–72 season...
, who came back from the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
after playing for L.A. until 1968. At age 32, West averaged 27.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 9.5 assists, and helped the Lakers win 46 games and make the 1971 NBA Playoffs
1971 NBA Playoffs
The 1971 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1970-1971 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Milwaukee Bucks defeating the Eastern Conference champion Baltimore Bullets, four games to none in the NBA Finals.Led by...
. After losing Elgin Baylor to an Achilles tendon rupture that effectively ended his career, West himself injured his knee and was out for the season; the short-handed Lakers lost the Western Conference Finals
1971 NBA Playoffs
The 1971 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1970-1971 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Milwaukee Bucks defeating the Eastern Conference champion Baltimore Bullets, four games to none in the NBA Finals.Led by...
in five games to the championship-bound Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
. The Milwaukee Bucks featured freshly crowned Most Valuable Player Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
) and veteran Hall-of-Fame guard Oscar Robertson
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson , nicknamed "The Big O", is a former American NBA player with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks...
.
Late success and twilight years
Prior to the 1971–72 NBA season1971–72 NBA season
The 1971–72 NBA season was the 26th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA Championship, beating the New York Knicks 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals....
, West was smarting from his frequent injuries and losses and considered retirement. The Lakers hired former Celtics star guard and future Hall-of-Fame coach Bill Sharman
Bill Sharman
William Walton "Bill" Sharman is a former professional basketball player and coach. Sharman completed high school in the rural city of Porterville, California and is mostly known for his time with the Boston Celtics in the 1950s, partnering with Bob Cousy in what some consider the greatest...
as head coach. Although injured captain Elgin Baylor
Elgin Baylor
Elgin Gay Baylor is a retired Hall of Fame American basketball player and former NBA general manager who played 13 seasons as a forward for the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers/Los Angeles Lakers....
ended his career, the Lakers had a season for the ages: powered by Sharman's emphasis on tough defense and fast break offense, L.A. embarked on an unprecedented 33 game win streak, en route to a then-record 69 wins in the regular season. West himself contributed with 25.8 points and leading the league with a career-high 9.7 assists per game, was named All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defense First Teamer and voted 1972 All-Star Game MVP.
In the post-season, the Lakers defeated the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
in a four game sweep, then went on to face the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
, and defeated them in six games. In the 1972 NBA Finals
1972 NBA Finals
The 1972 NBA Finals was played at the conclusion of the 1971–72 NBA season. The Western Conference Champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference Champion New York Knicks in five games...
, the Lakers again met the New York Knicks. Although West suffered a terrible shooting slump during Games 1 and 2, the Lakers tied the series at one win each, and in Game 3, he scored 21 points and helped L.A. win Game 3. In this game, he now had scored 4,002 playoff points, which set an all-time NBA record. After winning Game 4 due to a superb Wilt Chamberlain, West scored 23 points in Game 5, and he won the game and their first-ever NBA title. West conceded that he had played a terrible series, and credited the team for the success. Years later he said "I played terrible basketball in the Finals, and we won… It was particularly frustrating because I was playing so poorly that the team overcame me. Maybe that's what a team is all about."
Now having vanquished this long-time bane, West entered his 13th NBA year. In the 1972–73 NBA season, the main scoring role was taken by Goodrich, and West was now a playmaker instead of a scorer. However, West averaged 22.8 points, but also averaged 8.8 assists per game, and again was a First Teamer in the All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defense Teams. The Lakers won 60 games and reached the 1973 NBA Finals
1973 NBA Finals
For the third time in four seasons, the New York Knicks of the Eastern Conference met the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference for the NBA World Championship in the 1973 NBA Finals...
against the New York Knicks. In Game 1 West scored 24 points before fouling out with three minutes left and L.A. won Game 1 with 115–112. However, the Knicks took Games 2 and 3, and West strained both of his hamstrings: in Game 4, the shorthanded Lakers were no match for New York, and in Game 5, the valiant, but injured West and Hairston had miserable games, and despite Chamberlain scoring 23 points and grabbing 21 rebounds, the Lakers lost 102–93 and the series.
The following 1973–74 NBA season was to be West's last. Now 36 years old, the veteran guard averaged 20.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game. In two newly introduced statistics, steals and blocks, he was credited with 2.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. Despite playing only 31 games due to a strained groin, West was still regarded as an elite guard, earning another callup into his final All-Star Game. Without Chamberlain, who had ended his NBA career, the Lakers won 47 games and lost in five games to the Milwaukee Bucks. After this loss, West retired due to contract disagreements with Cooke, and filed a suit for unpaid back wages. West wanted to re-negotiate his contract and keep playing, however he said Cooke "basically told my agent to go to hell. I felt I was deceived. When you feel that you’re deceived you don’t want any part of the organization that deceived you. I could’ve played another very good year. Every athlete says that. But I could’ve, and I knew I could’ve. But I could never have played for the Lakers again, and I wasn’t going to play for anybody else." At the time of his departure, West had scored more points than any Laker in NBA history.
Coaching and managing career
In the 1976–77 season, West became coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. In three years, he led the Lakers of star center and former rival Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to a 145–101 record, always making the playoffs and reaching the Western Conference Finals once in 1977. After his coaching stint, he worked as a scout for three years before becoming general managerGeneral manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the Lakers prior to the 1982–83 season. NBA.com credits West in creating the great 1980s Lakers dynasty, which brought five championship rings (1980,1982,1985,1987,and 1988) to Los Angeles. After a slump in the early 1990s, West rebuilt the team of coach Del Harris
Del Harris
Delmer William Harris is a basketball coach, currently the head coach for the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League. He was an assistant coach for the NBA's New Jersey Nets, Chicago Bulls, and Dallas Mavericks...
around center Vlade Divac
Vlade Divac
Vlade Divac is a retired Yugoslav and Serbian professional basketball player who spent most of his career in the NBA. At , he played center and was known for his passing skills...
and guard Nick Van Exel
Nick Van Exel
Nickey Maxwell "Nick" Van Exel is a retired American professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks...
, which won 48 games, and went to the Western Conference Semifinals
1995 NBA Playoffs
The 1995 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1994-1995 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic...
; for turning the team around, West received his first Executive of the Year Award
NBA Executive of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Executive of the Year Award is an annual award given since the 1972–73 NBA season, to the league's best general managers. Before 2009, the Executive of the Year is presented annually by Sporting News, although it is officially recognized by the NBA. Since then,...
. By trading Vlade Divac for Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
, signing free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
center Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
, and signing six-time NBA champion Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson is a retired American professional basketball coach and player. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association . His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998;...
as a coach, West laid down the fundaments of the Lakers three-peat
Three-peat
Three-peat is a contraction of the words three and repeat, which has been trademarked for commercial use by retired basketball coach Pat Riley; the active trademarks in force are registered under numbers 1552980, 1878690, and 1886018...
which saw L.A. win three NBA titles from 2000 to 2002.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
. He explained his decision with the desire for exploring something new: "After being a part of the Lakers success for so many years, I have always wondered how it would be to build a winning franchise that has not experienced much success. I want to help make a difference." West's Memphis stint was not as spectacular as his Los Angeles stint, but he turned a franchise which was about to be sold into a reliable playoffs team, practically making no trades but getting the maximum from the players he had available (e.g. Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
, James Posey
James Posey
James Mikely Mantell Posey, Jr. is an American professional basketball player, currently a small forward for the Indiana Pacers of the NBA.-Early life:...
and Jason Williams) and signing coach Hubie Brown
Hubie Brown
Hubert Jude "Hubie" Brown is a retired American basketball coach and a current television analyst. Brown is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, the honors being separated by 26 years...
, who became Coach of the Year in 2004. West himself won his second NBA Executive of the Year Award in the same year. At age 69, West retired as a Grizzlies general manager in 2007 and turned over managing duties to Chris Wallace
Chris Wallace (NBA General Manager)
Chris Wallace, from Buckhannon, West Virginia is the general manager and vice president of basketball operations for the Memphis Grizzlies basketball team in the National Basketball Association ....
, from Buckhannon, West Virginia
Buckhannon, West Virginia
Buckhannon is the only incorporated city in, and the county seat of, Upshur County, West Virginia, United States, and is located along the Buckhannon River. The population was 5,725 at the 2000 census. Buckhannon is home to West Virginia Wesleyan College and the West Virginia Strawberry Festival,...
.
On May 19, 2011, it was announced that West had agreed to join the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
as a head consultant, under new owner Joe Lacob
Joe Lacob
Joseph "Joe" Lacob is a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and the majority owner of the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association .-Early life:...
. This role also came with an undisclosed minority ownership stake in the team as well.
Legacy
West ended his playing career with 14 All-Star, 12 All-NBA Team and five All-Defensive Team selections, and scored 25,192 points, 6,238 assists and 5,366 rebounds in 932 games, translating to an average of 27.0 points, 6.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game. Among retired players, only Michael JordanMichael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain surpass his 27.0 points per game average. He led the Lakers in scoring in seven seasons, and was universally seen as one of the greatest clutch players in NBA history; only Jordan had a higher career scoring average in the playoffs (33.5 versus 29.1). In 1979, West was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Lakers retired his #44 jersey in 1983. In March 2008, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
voted West the third greatest shooting guard of all time. As a coach, West led the Lakers into three consecutive playoff campaigns, and then went on to win seven NBA championships as a general manager, building the 1980s Lakers dynasty under coach Pat Riley
Pat Riley
Patrick James "Pat" Riley is an American professional basketball executive, and a retired coach and player in the NBA. Currently, he is team president of the Miami Heat. Widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams...
and players Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy
James Worthy
James Ager Worthy is a retired Hall of Fame American college and professional basketball player. Named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, "Big Game James" was a seven-time NBA All-Star and three-time NBA champion...
and the 2000s under coach Phil Jackson and players Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.
In the summer of 2000, the city of Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia. It is the county seat of Monongalia County. Placed along the banks of the Monongahela River, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and the base of the Morgantown metropolitan area...
, and West Virginia Governor Cecil Underwood, dedicated the road outside of the West Virginia University Coliseum
WVU Coliseum
The WVU Coliseum is a 14,000-seat multi-purpose arena which is located in the Evansdale campus of West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. The circular arena features a poured concrete roof....
, "Jerry West Boulevard." The same road is shared on the south end of Morgantown with Don Knotts
Don Knotts
Jesse Donald "Don" Knotts was an American comedic actor best known for his portrayal of Barney Fife on the 1960s television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, a role which earned him five Emmy Awards...
Boulevard, in honor of another WVU alumnus. Also, on November 26, 2005, his number 44 became the first basketball number to be retired by West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
and on February 17, 2007, a bronze statue of him was honored outside of the WVU Coliseum. On February 17, 2011, a Jerry West statue was unveiled outside Staples Center at the Star Plaza in Los Angeles, California. Finally, the NBA logo itself is modelled after West's silhouette.
Player profile
West was an all-around combo guard who could take the playmaking roles of a point guardPoint guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
and score like a shooting guard
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
, while being equally strong on offense and on defense. He had a jump shot with a release the NBA lauded as "lightning quick", and was known for making baskets late in the game, earning him the nickname "Mr. Clutch". Having played forward early in his career, West was also a capable rebounder, and gifted with long arms, quick hands and strong defensive instincts, West was also one described as one of the best ball hawks, man-to-man defenders and shot blockers among NBA guards: when the All-Defensive Teams were introduced in 1969, West made every one of them until his career ended in 1974. "He stole more than anybody, although they didn't keep records on it then," said Sharman. However, contemporaries were most impressed by West's work ethic, obsessively practicing and shooting and rarely being satisfied with himself.
West's all-round game and attitude is maybe best expressed in his statistically most spectacular game: he once was credited with 44 points (16 of 17 shots from the field, 12 of 12 free throw attempts) with 12 rebounds, 12 assists and (unofficially counted) 10 blocked shots, thus scoring a non-official ultra-rare quadruple double. Instead of being proud, West merely commented: "Defensively, from a team standpoint, I didn't feel I played very well. Very rarely was I satisfied with how I played."
Personal life
West was married to his college sweetheart Martha Jane Kane from 1960 to 1976, until they got divorced. They have three sons, David, Mark and Michael. Jerry married his current wife Karen in 1978. They have two sons, Ryan and Jonnie. Jonnie is currently a guard at West's old team, the West Virginia Mountaineers.As a person, West was often described as an introverted and nervous character, but who also drew highest praise for his uncompromising work ethic. Regarding his shyness, WVU room mate Jody Gardner testified that West never dated in his entire freshman year, and Lakers coach Fred Schaus
Fred Schaus
Frederick Appleton Schaus was an American basketball player, head coach and athletic director for the West Virginia University Mountaineers, player for the NBA's Fort Wayne Pistons and New York Knicks, general manager and head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, head coach of Purdue University...
once recalled a two-week period when his guard never said a word. Apart from being shy, West was always restless: Schaus described him as a "bundle of nerves", Celtics contemporary Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy
Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'1" , 175-pound Cousy played point guard with the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics from 1951 to 1963 and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals in the 1969–70 season...
as "always on the move", and fellow Laker and Mountaineer Rod Hundley
Rod Hundley
Rodney Clark "Rod" Hundley is a former professional basketball player and television broadcaster. Hundley's life has revolved around the game of basketball. His love and talent for the game led him to achieve honors in high school and most notably during his college years...
testified that during bar visits, West would quickly squirm and demand to go elsewhere before everybody else had settled. His first wife Martha Kane recalled that her husband often had difficulties opening up to her. After a big loss, the Wests would drive home and she would try to console him, but West would say "get out" at the home porch and drive away—an experience that "killed" her as a wife.
Early in his career, West's West Virginian roots made him target for some mild jeering. He spoke with a high pitched voice that became even shriller when he became excited, so that Lakers captain Elgin Baylor dubbed West "Tweety Bird". His Appalachian accent was so thick that one coach interrupted him and asked him to speak English. Baylor once commented: "Rumors are safe with you, Tweety Bird. You pass them on, but nobody can understand you."
West was also regarded for his extreme mental toughness and his exemplary work ethic. The NBA described West as "obsessive perfectionism, unabashed confidence, and an uncompromising will to win… a level of intensity so high it could melt lead". Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn
Chick Hearn
Francis Dayle "Chick" Hearn was an American sportscaster. Known primarily as the long-time play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, the legendary Hearn is remembered for his rapid fire, staccato broadcasting style, inventing colorful phrases such...
once said: "He took a loss harder than any player I've ever known. He would sit by himself and stare into space. A loss just ripped his guts out." Even before his sole championship in 1972, the Lakers held a "Jerry West Night", and eleven-time NBA champion and perennial rival Bill Russell appeared and said: "Jerry, you are, in every sense of the word, truly a champion… If I could have one wish granted, it would be that you would always be happy."
In 2011, West wrote, along with bestselling author Jonathan Coleman, a memoir entitled West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life, and revealed during a interview on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel is a monthly sports newsmagazine on HBO that debuted on April 2, 1995. The show was "spawned by the fact that sports have changed dramatically, that it's no longer just fun and games, and that what happens off the field, beyond the scores, is worthy of some serious...
, that he was the victim of physical abuse from his father as a child, and has suffered from depression ever since. The book has had tremendous critical acclaim and became an instant New York Times bestseller.
See also
- List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff assists leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff free throw scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association season scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association players with most points in a game
- List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game
- List of National Basketball Association players with most steals in a game
- List of National Basketball Association players with 50 or more points in a playoff game
- List of highest playoff series scoring averages in National Basketball Association history
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2000 points and 1000 rebounds