By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
NBA legend Jerry West has passed away. He was 86.
An official cause of death has not been announced yet. The Los Angeles Clippers, who he worked for, announced that his wife was by his side at the time of his death.
The Basketball Hall of Famer’s death comes on the heels of Game 3 of the NBA Finals. The NBA will have a moment of silence before the contest between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks in Texas tonight.
West has dedicated his life to basketball. He is the NBA logo.
In September, he was going to be a three-time Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer.
He played for the Minneapolis Lakers before they relocated to become the Los Angeles Lakers. He played for the franchise from 1960 through 1974.
Then two years later, West went into coaching. He was a coach for the Lakers from 1976 through 1979.
Following his stint as a coach, West became a very successful executive in the league.
West was instrumental in making a trade with the Charlotte Hornets for Kobe Bryant. The Pennsylvania teenager was drafted by the Hornets before being traded for Vlade Divac.
He was instrumental in signing Shaquille O’Neal. Together, Bryant and O’Neal won three NBA Championships together.
However, West only saw one of their Championships together. He departed his role with the Lakers following the Lakers championship over the Indiana Pacers.
He was not in basketball with a team when the Lakers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers for the 2001 NBA Championship. West was hired by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2002 when the Lakers defeated the New Jersey Nets to win their third consecutive Championship.
West was an eight-time NBA Champion as an executive. He was also a two-time NBA Executive of the Year.
As a player, he won the 1972 NBA Championship with the Lakers. As an executive, he worked for the Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and the Clippers.
This man is one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game.
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