Jerry West, “The Logo”, is an unavoidable part of any narrative surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers. As a player, Mr. Clutch was the first draft pick by the newly relocated franchise and therefore arguably their first homegrown star.
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West led the Lakers to multiple NBA Finals and eventually got his long-overdue ring. In the course, various heartbreaking losses followed, despite West’s best efforts. The “Logo” remains the only individual to win the Finals MVP honor despite being on the losing side.
Tenures as Coach and Executive followed with the Lakers for Jerry West. Eventually, West did move on from the Lakers and associated himself with other franchises. However, the “Logo” shall forever be associated with the LA franchise.
Despite the fact that he failed to land multiple championships for the Lakers as a player, West did more than his fair bit for the success of the Lakers subsequently. The Logo was instrumental in building the Showtime Lakers of the 80s and then building the Shaq–Kobe era.
West’s efforts, particularly to get Shaq and Kobe together, even took a toll on his health. If there wasn’t enough conviction regarding the man’s commitment to his job, look no further.
Mission to land Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant got West to a hospital
West was fresh of an Executive of the Year title, heading into the 1996 off-season. While no big swings were required, the GM decided it was time. The biggest young star in all of basketball, Shaquille O’Neal, was approaching his prime and was available as a free agent. West, after months of telephonic conversations with Shaq, made the big swing and landed the big man.
It was also in the same off-season that West moved the incumbent center Vlade Divac to the Hornets. Initially, this may have been conceived merely as a move to ensure their new star’s minutes had no threat, it appears there was a lot more to it.
West was convinced by what he had seen of 17-year-old Kobe Bryant. The Divac trade handed them the lottery pick which they used to snag the teenage phenom. The rest is history.
However, the whole ordeal to land his two desired stars had left West physically spent. In his own admission, the Logo was a high-energy person, but the effort to get the moves lined up and lack of sleep took a toll on him, and “forced him into the hospital.”
Thankfully for Jerry, his moves paid off, and then some. A historic three-peat followed soon, and West had led the Lakers to the pinnacle of success yet again. Albeit at some personal cost. Mr. Clutch would agree it was well worth it though.
How has Jerry West fared in his post-Laker executive career?
In 2002, West moved on to the Memphis Grizzlies, seeking a new challenge. While no rings followed at Memphis, the Logo was a crucial part of building a competitive team that represented the “Grit and Grind” philosophy to the T.
Mr. Clutch added another Executive of the Year title to his collection during his time at Memphis. 5 years later, West walked away. A sabbatical from basketball followed. And then came West’s decision to join the Golden State Warriors.
West’s Midas touch continued with the Warriors too. The Logo went on to win his 7th and 8th championship rings as an executive, adding further sheen to a glorious career.
A lot of Lakers fans probably felt betrayed by what happened next, however. The purple and gold icon turned to the other side of LA and joined the Clippers. While his abilities as an executive have been on full display, the Clippers have failed to quite achieve what they are capable of, at least on paper. But maybe the golden touch of the all-timer is what they need to turn things around.
West remains connected to the world of basketball, and how else can one even perceive the man? A true basketball man from day one, West remains an inspiration to basketball lovers around the world.
