Jerry West dies at 86: Successful college basketball career at West Virginia helped produce an NBA legend

Before Jerry West ever became a 14-time All-Star, title-winning NBA executive and the logo of the league, he was a high school star in rural West Virginia with modest career aspirations. West, who died Wednesday at the age of 86, joined the basketball program at West Virginia University in 1956 as a physical education major with eyes on becoming a teacher.

Instead, he became a legend. West’s time at WVU paved the way for one of the all-time great basketball lives and made him an icon in his home state and around the world.

“It was the smartest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” West said in a 2011 profile done by the Golden State Warriors of his decision to attend West Virginia. “I was so backward and awkward and socially inept when I was going to school. I was so quiet and shy, as a lot of kids are, particularly during that era. I get there and I formed some wonderful relationships.”

West ranks atop the Mountaineers’ all-time scoring list with 2,309 points in just three seasons of varsity action, and his sophomore season still marks the only time when West Virginia was ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll, according to Sports Reference.

WVU went 81-12 during West’s three seasons, reaching the national title game in 1959 as West scored a game-high 28 points in a 71-70 loss to Cal. West was named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, making him one of only 10 players to receive that honor while playing for a team that didn’t win the title.

The Mountaineers retired West’s No. 44 jersey during 2005-06 season — the first number ever retired by the program — and dedicated a statue of West outside the WVU Coliseum in 2007. The university made him an inaugural member of the WVU Mountaineer Legends Society in 2017. 

The 6-foot-2 shooting guard earned All-America honors three times and still owns numerous school records despite the fact that he played in an era predating the 3-point line and the shot clock.

Though West’s time as a hero for his in-state program fits neatly into his illustrious legacy, it was no foregone…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/jerry-west-dies-at-86-successful-college-basketball-career-at-west-virginia-helped-produce-an-nba-legend/

Author : David Cobb

Publish date : 2024-06-12 16:15:29

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