Jerry West was an NBA legend on and off the court in multiple ways. He was among the greatest players of all time, and such a league staple his image became that of the official NBA logo. He remains the only player on a losing team to win NBA Finals MVP, and he also was an exceptional executive with multiple teams. But when West passed last week at the age of 86, another important part of his legacy wasn’t commented on enough in mainstream sports circles: his longtime friendship with and advocacy for Black players.
Though he hailed from West Virginia and entered the NBA in 1960, far from the most enlightened period in either the league or the nation, West formed fast friendships with Black players from the start. He and Elgin Baylor were a formidable duo for the Lakers, the team West played with his entire 14-year career. He actually went to Baylor’s home in 1972 and begged him to come out of retirement, because that team was destined to win the only championship in his playing career. But Baylor’s knees were totally wrecked, as he played in the era prior to numerous advances in sports medicine. He simply wasn’t able to play any longer, and West later acknowledged that the two of them shed tears over the fact his best friend on the team couldn’t join him in that title hunt.
But as superb as he was on the court, West might have been even greater in the executive suites. This is where he demonstrated his acumen as well as his devotion to winning and refusal to let anything matter other than a man’s playing ability. He helped build great teams not only for both the Lakers and the Clippers in Los Angeles, but also in Memphis and Golden State. As an executive he contributed to teams winning multiple NBA championships.
He was the architect of the Showtime Lakers, the person who put Magic Johnson together with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. That team won five titles. During the 1996 draft, West watched a young, then unknown kid named Kobe Bryant in a private workout. After seeing that he called every team ahead of the Lakers, trying to move up in the draft. The Charlotte Hornets, who initially drafted Bryant, were willing to trade him to the Lakers for Vlade Divac. West and Bryant became extremely close personally and professionally. West also later convinced Shaquille O’Neal to leave the Orlando Magic and sign with the Lakers in 1996, helping the Lakers win three more titles.
In Memphis, where he was their general manager from 2002-07, he won Executive of the Year. As an advisor with the Warriors from 2011-2017, he urged the front office to draft both Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. He later urged them not to make a trade of Thompson for Kevin Love in 2014, and subsequently helped persuade Kevin Durant to join the Warriors. His last big act was getting Kwahi Leonard and Paul George to the Clippers via trade in 2019. They reached the Western Conference Finals in 2021.
Through all his years as an executive, operating in a league that steadily became more Black until it reached its present percentage of roughly 75, West had absolutely no problems drafting, signing, working with or coaching Black players. Sadly, he was criticized by racist types who felt he drafted too many Black players. He addressed that back in 1996, telling the NBA magazine Slam that “I would hope that racism is something that just does not work in this day and age, but I know otherwise. I get horrible mail from people who, among other things, call me a racist because we don’t have any white players on the team, which is patently absurd.”
West also spoke out about his admiration for the courage of Black players in Sam Smith’s 2017 book “Hard Labor: The Battle That Birthed the Billion-Dollar NBA. He remembered the stance that Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor and other Black players took in 1964 when they threatened not to appear in an All-Star game in Boston unless the owners recognized the players union, and agreed to some basic protections like retirement pensions that are now standard in all player contracts.
“That day has always resonated with me as one of the seminal points of this league,” West told Smith. “Like Elgin said, We’re not playing. I remember him telling me, I think in Charleston, West Virginia, and they wouldn’t let him in the restaurant or hotel and he wouldn’t play. I really didn’t know that existed. That’s how stupid I was growing up in a small town. Here’s this dignified man, but he stood up for what he believed forcefully no matter the consequences. I’ll admit I probably had greater respect for my Black teammates than my white teammates. The respect I had for Bill Russell was off the charts, the people who were jeopardized a lot in life and were never afraid to speak out. That’s what the player movement, guys like Elgin, Oscar, Archie Clark, what they were all about.”
It was no surprise that upon hearing about West’s death, Black players across the league, regardless of era, spoke about him with reverence. “
“Will truly miss our convos dear friend!” wrote Lebron James. “My thoughts and prayers goes out to your wonderful family! Forever love Jerry! Rest in Paradise my guy!” the post continued. “I am so deeply saddened at the news of Jerry’s passing,” Michael Jordan’s statement began. “He was truly a friend and a mentor. Like an older brother to me. I valued his friendship and knowledge. I admired his basketball insights, and he and I shared many similarities to how we approached the game. He will be forever missed.. Rest in Peace, Logo.”
But perhaps the best tribute came from longtime friend Oscar Robertson, who was his backcourt mate on the 1960 Olympic team and longtime competitor in the league as well as close friend.
“I do not have the words at this moment to express how I feel,” Robertson wrote. “Great friend. Great competitor. Great for the game of basketball. Will always have love in my heart for Number 44.”
Not only a great player and executive, but a great man.
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