by Miguel Mike Medina
The basketball world is an important figure. Jerry West died at the age of 86. He is one of the most accomplished people in basketball history. West was the ultimate winner. He was truly a basketball genius. He was an NBA champion and made the All-Star team in all of his 14 seasons. West was the inspiration for the NBA logo.
Jerry West won the Gold Medal with the 1960 Men’s basketball team for Team USA. He led the Lakers to nine NBA Finals and lost to the Celtics six times. The final losses took a toll on West. It was too painful to keep losing to Boston. It hurt him so much to the point that almost quit basketball. Aside from that, West is one of the best clutch players of all time.
He became a general manager in 1982. He won three titles with the Lakers in the 80s as a general manager. West was also responsible for bringing Shaq and Kobe to the Lakers, which resulted in three more championships from 2000 through 2002. West won Executive of the Year twice in 1995 and 2004. In 2004, he was the general manager for the Memphis Grizzlies and they made the playoffs that year.
West also played a role in the championship run for the Golden State Warriors in the Steph Curry era and his latest contributions to the Los Angeles Clippers organization.
This year, he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a contributor to the sport as an executive and consultant. Not too many people can say that they are a three-time Hall of Famer. West has been a figure in basketball for 70 years. He will be truly missed.
