Jerry West, a Hall of Fame basketball player who won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers and was an executive during the Showtime Lakers era in the 1980s, has died, the Clippers organization announced Wednesday. He was 86.
West was with his wife, Karen, by his side when he died Wednesday morning.
West was the general manager of the Lakers from 1982 to 2000 and the Memphis Grizzlies from 2002 to 2007. He was a consultant with the Golden State Warriors from 2011 to 2017 and with the Clippers until his death.
He was recently inducted to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Massachusetts for a record third time in April as a contributor to the game.
West was inducted into the Hall of Fame the first time as a player in 1979 and then as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team in 2010.
The contributor enshrinement honored his work as a general manager with the Lakers and Grizzlies, in addition to his time as a consultant with the Warriors and the Clippers.
While in those roles, West won eight championships and was twice selected NBA Executive of the Year.
West also won an NBA championship as a player with the Lakers in 1972. He played in the NBA Finals nine times and lost six times to the Boston Celtics. West was the MVP of the 1969 NBA Finals and is the only player to win the Finals MVP for a losing team. He averaged 37.9 points per games in the seven-game series against the Celtics.
He was credited as the architect of the Lakers in the 1980s and 1990s during his 18 seasons as general manager, including the deal that brought Kobe Bryant to Los Angeles.
“Congratulations to the logo legend and already 2x Hall of Famer Jerry West for being elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for the third time as a contributor!” Magic Johnson posted on social media in April before West’s induction to the Hall of Fame.
“Thank you for drafting a skinny kid for Michigan State to the Lakers 45 years ago – together, we won 5 championships! You extended your winning legacy as the architect for the Kobe and Shaq era with an NBA Championship three-peat. THEN after doing a great job in Memphis, you went on to help Golden State win 2 Championships. This honor is well-deserved and well-earned!”
Before joining the Clippers in 2017, West spent six years with the Warriors and helped the team win titles in 2015 and 2017. He also spent five years in Memphis’ front office, rebuilding the franchise.
As a player, West was a 14-time All-Star with the Lakers, and was the inspiration for the NBA’s logo.