It’s a sad day for the NBA community! The Los Angeles Lakers legend, Jerry West, the inspiration for the NBA logo, passed away at 86. This news has engulfed the NBA world as both the past and current athletes of the league are sharing their condolences. The Lakers superstar, LeBron James, also took to his Instagram and displayed his admiration for the NBA icon.
Advertisement
On his IG stories, the All-time leading scorer posted multiple photos in memory of the man, who is synonymous with Lakers hoops.
One of the photos he shared stemmed from SportsCenter’s official IG handle marking West’s tenure as the Lakers head coach from 1976 to 1979, among various accomplishments in his NBA tenure as athlete and executive. In another story, he shared a photo by the NBA’s official handle in which the Lakers guard was going for a lay-up.
The story also commemorates West’s lifespan from 1938 to 2024 and James added Dove emojis in the story to send his regards for a peaceful afterlife. Meanwhile, he also shared a post by the Los Angeles Clippers, who were remembering their deceased executive, and a post by GQ Sports which celebrated Jerry West’s incredible tuxedo choices.
LeBron James pays tribute to Lakers legend Jerry West on his passing pic.twitter.com/W8oBXdxbRK
— Ballerz Worldwide (@ballaznba) June 12, 2024
Thus, LeBron James celebrated the Logo’s legacy through his various shades in the NBA. He didn’t limit his tributes to Instagram and took to X to pay homage to one of the most iconic sports figures.
LeBron James can’t admire Jerry West enough
On X, LBJ recalled his interactions with West and rolled out a heart-warming post. Wishing him all the best for the afterlife, he showered prayers for his family and mentioned the inextinguishable love for the 1969 NBA Finals MVP. He wrote,
“Will truly miss our convos my dear friend! My thoughts and prayers goes out to your wonderful family! Forever love Jerry! Rest in Paradise my guy! ”
Will truly miss our convos my dear friend! My thoughts and prayers goes out to your wonderful family! Forever love Jerry! Rest in Paradise my guy! 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🤎
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 12, 2024
In another tweet, James hailed West’s guidance and touched upon their friendly relationship. He hoped that he’d keep carrying the torch of greatness to keep the spirit of the Lakers’ icon alive. James heartily penned, “My mentor, My friend! Hopefully I continue to make you proud! You’re already missed!”
LBJ can’t rave enough about West as the two shared mutual adoration. The late Lakers legend regarded James on a similar level as GOAT rival Michael Jordan. When the King broke the all-time scoring record, he hailed his basketball IQ and expressed that he was unsurprised at this accomplishment.
He praised James’ confidence and expected him to keep fetching a ton of points after passing the 40,000 mark. True to his words, the modern NBA icon is on his way to building a tall scoring mountain that may not be surpassed for many years to come. However, Jerry West has had a legendary career and will always be remembered as one of the greatest ever.
