Jerry West, The Inspiration For The NBA Logo, Has Passed Away At 86

Jerry West / ET

NBA Legend Jerry West, Dead At 86

NBA great, Jerry West, has passed away. The Lakers legend whose silhouette still serves as the NBA’s logo, has been announced dead at 86. According to the Los Angeles Clippers, Jerry’s wife Karen was by his side.

Reports of the West Virginia native’s death sparked an immediate outpouring of grief in the basketball world, with ESPN’s Mike Greenberg breaking the news.

“I’m sorry to be the one to tell you. One of the greatest figures in the history of American sports, one of the greatest players and one of the most important people in the history of basketball in this or any country has died. Jerry West has died at the age of 86,” Mike told his ESPN audience on Wednesday.

Nicknamed as ‘Zeke from Cabin Creek’ and ‘Mr Clutch,’ West alongside Elgin Baylor turn the Los Angeles Lakers into a top contender in the 1960s, per the DailyMail.

It was at this same time that Bill Russell dominated the NBA with the rival Boston Celtics. Following Russell’s retirement in 1969, Jerry and Wilt Chamberlain led the Lakers to the 1972 NBA title, but Elgin was retired at the time.

Jerry was the second-overall pick in the 1960 draft, and the now deceased baller was was named to 14 All-Star teams during his career, while averaging 27 points a game.

West continued in the basketball line as an unsuccessful Lakers head coach in his three-year run before taking up a scouting role and then becoming the team’s general manager.

Jerry West / Getty Images

He was credited as the man that help the Lakers win three consecutive titles between 2000 and 2002 with Bryant and O’Neal on their roster with Phil Jackson as the coach. The former NBA player also played a major role in trading for Bryant after he was originally selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 draft.

However, in 2002, he left the Lakers to become general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies before retiring five years later. Jerry joined the Grizzlies front office in 2002 prior to earning his seventh and eighth titles as an executive with Golden State in 2015 and 2017.

West then joined the board of the Clippers in 2017, aiding the successful recruit of two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard as a free agent in 2020.