June 12 (UPI) — NBA legend Jerry West, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, has died, the Los Angeles Clippers announced Wednesday. He was 86.
“Jerry West, the personification of basketball excellence and friend to all who knew him, passed away peacefully this morning at the age of 86,” the Clippers said. “His wife, Karen, was by his side.”
His cause of death was not disclosed.
West worked as an executive board member and consultant for the Clippers. The 1980 Hall of Fame inductee spent his entire 14-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
A 14-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection and 1972 NBA Finals winner, West was known as the inspiration for the NBA insignia, leading to his nickname — “The Logo.”
West was born May 28, 1938, in Chelyan, W.Va. He starerd at West Virginia before joining the Lakers franchise as the No. 2 overall pick in the 1960 NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-3 guard averaged a league-high 31.2 points per game in 1969-70 and 9.7 assists per game in 1971-72.
He finished second in the league MVP race four times. Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Willis Reed claimed the honor during those West runner-up campaigns.
West averaged 27 points, 6.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game over his 932 career appearances.
He coached the Lakers from 1976-77 through 1978-79. He then worked as a scout before a long tenure as general manager for the Lakers, who won titles in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 2000, with West in their front office.
The Lakers also won championships in 2001 and 2002, with rosters heavily influenced by West.
West worked as general manager for the Memphis Grizzlies from 2002 to 2007. He was an executive board member for the Golden State Warriors for 2011 to 2017. The Warriors, who drafted Stephen Curry in 2009, Klay Thompson in 2011 and Draymond Green in 2012, won two titles during West’s tenure as general manager.
They won again in 2018 and 2022, with the same championship-winning group of core players.
The Clippers hired West in 2017.
