NBA icon Jerry West passes away at the age of 86

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

NBA icon and legend Jerry West has died.

In an announcement made by the Los Angeles Clippers franchise where he became an executive board member and a consultant, the man behind the NBA’s logo passed away on June 12, 2024, with his wife, Karen, by his side.

The specific reason behind his death is yet to be disclosed as the Clippers only stated that Mr. West joined the creator peacefully.

Known as “Mr. Clutch”, West left an impact on the league on and off the court, having a spectacular career as one of the best players to wear the Los Angeles Lakers jersey while also helping several teams turn their fortunes around with his great leadership as an NBA executive.

West began his legendary NBA career way back in 1960 when he was drafted second overall by the Minneapolis Lakers.

However, the franchise eventually moved to Los Angeles, and that’s where West started to turn heads and cement his legacy in the NBA.

During his 14-year professional career, West was crowned as an NBA champion in 1972 and was named an All-Star 14 times from 1961-1974.

Aside from those accolades, West made it into the All-NBA First Team squad 10 times, All-NBA Second Team twice, and was also a four-time NBA All-Defensive First Team member.

West made it into the NBA history books after being named the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) despite being on the losing team. A proof of how good a basketball player the legend was during his heydays.

After his active playing years, West began his transition as an NBA coach in 1976 and served as a tactician for the Lakers until 1979.

A season after that, West embarked on his NBA executive journey, still with the Lakers, until 2000 and has worked with the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, and the Clippers.

“I valued my friendship with Jerry and the knowledge he shared with me over many years about basketball and life. On behalf of the NBA, we send our deepest condolences to Jerry’s wife, Karen, his family and his many friends in the NBA community,” expressed NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.