Hall of Famer Jerry West, who won two titles with Warriors, dies at 86

Hall of Famer Jerry West, who won two titles with Warriors, dies at 86 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jerry West, the Hall of Fame player who won two NBA titles with the Warriors, died Wednesday at the age of 86.

The Los Angeles Clippers announced that West died peacefully at his home.

West was an NBA MVP, a champion, a gold medalist and the inspiration behind the league’s iconic logo. He began his historic pro basketball career in 1960 and influenced the game of basketball for eight decades, winning nine championships as a player, scout, coach, executive and consultant.

The Los Angeles Lakers selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 1960 NBA Draft, and he spent his entire Hall of Fame playing career with the purple and gold.

In 932 games through 14 seasons, West averaged 27 points on 47.4-percent shooting, with 5.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists.

A 14-time NBA All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection and five-time All-Defensive selection — West’s impact went beyond the accolades.

After his playing career, West found success as an NBA executive, building the Showtime Lakers of the 1980s that won five championships and orchestrating the formation of the iconic Shaquille O’Neal-Kobe Bryant duo.

West joined Golden State in 2011 where he served as an executive board member for six seasons. After the Warriors won the second of their four championships, he left the Bay to join the Los Angeles Clippers organization in 2017.

Many questioned why West chose to leave a team that had just made three consecutive NBA Finals appearances and was in the midst of a dynastic run, to which West pointed to his desire to work with Clippers owners Steve Ballmer and Dennis Wong, as well as then-coach Doc Rivers.

“I will really miss the Warriors organization. I really will,” West told The Los Angeles Times in 2017. “But honestly, there was nothing left for me to do. When I left there Monday night after they won the championship, it was probably the worst feeling I ever had in my life as a basketball person.

“I knew I wasn’t going to be part of that anymore.”

This story will be updated.

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/hall-famer-jerry-west-won-141918883.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-06-12 14:51:15

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