Former Lakers GM Jerry West dead at 86

[bing101]

https://apnews.com/article/jerry-west-dead-nba-033c08e78eb9749f4cc275c54ff31d97

Jerry West is best known for his time as GM with the Lakers, Warriors, Clippers and Grizzlies.

[Big John]

I believe he was best known as a player for the Lakers and being the model for the NBA logo.

[SP Cook]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia_Route_44

West has no actual relationship with that part of WV, being from southern Kanawha county and playing in Monongalia county, but someone just decided that the existing 44 should be so signed.  Shame they didn't swap the number for something more geographically appropriate, or at least more significant.

[jgb191]

Thank you Jerry West for most of your contributions and dedication to the NBA (not just the Lakers)!

You made cellar teams relevant (like the Grizzles) and upgraded contending teams into empires (LA Lakers and GS Warriors).

I put Jerry West in the top four as greatest contributors in NBA history -- along with Pat Riley, and Red Auerbach, and Elgin Baylor.  All of them were the best total package -- player, coach, manager/executive.  No other individual has performed each of those job role as masterfully as those four.

Jerry West was responsible for every one of the 11 championships (not counting 2020 of course) since moving to Los Angeles, in my opinion and of many others the Lakers wouldn't be the Lakers without Jerry West, just like the Celtics wouldn't have been the Celtics without Red Auerbach.  It is also my opinion that had Jerry West remained with the Lakers, the franchise might have exceeded more than twenty World Championships, and Shaq and Kobe should have won more than three together (I would have believed repeat-threepeat Part II).

[jgb191]

Thank you Jerry West for most of your contributions and dedication to the NBA (not just the Lakers)!

You made cellar teams relevant (like the Grizzles) and upgraded contending teams into empires (LA Lakers and GS Warriors).

I put Jerry West in the top four as greatest contributors in NBA history -- along with Pat Riley, and Red Auerbach, and Elgin Baylor.  All of them were the best total package -- player (except Auerbach), coach, manager/executive.  No other individual has performed each of those job role as masterfully as those four.

Jerry West was responsible for every one of the 11 championships (not counting 2020 of course) since moving to Los Angeles, in my opinion and of many others the Lakers wouldn't be the Lakers without Jerry West, just like the Celtics wouldn't have been the Celtics without Red Auerbach.  It is also my opinion that had Jerry West remained with the Lakers, the franchise might have exceeded more than twenty World Championships, and Shaq and Kobe should have won more than three together (I would have believed repeat-threepeat Part II).

[SEWIGuy]

I think you are spot on about Jerry West.

But Elgin Baylor? He was a terrible coach, and while he did win Executive of the Year in 2006, that was after twenty years of pretty bad basketball under his oversight.

He literally never won a championship as a player, coach or executive. (And yes I realize he was a great player.)

You could add Phil Jackson, who won two rings as a player and 11 as a coach, but he was a failed executive.

[bing101]

I believe he was best known as a player for the Lakers and being the model for the NBA logo.

Well i'm in the majority of NBA fans who only knew Jerry West as a General Manager of NBA team and not an NBA Player the majority of Jerry West's Championships were when hes the GM of the Lakers or Warriors. 

[jgb191]

I think you are spot on about Jerry West.

But Elgin Baylor? He was a terrible coach, and while he did win Executive of the Year in 2006, that was after twenty years of pretty bad basketball under his oversight.

He literally never won a championship as a player, coach or executive. (And yes I realize he was a great player.)

You could add Phil Jackson, who won two rings as a player and 11 as a coach, but he was a failed executive.

I will concede to your point.  Succeeding in at least two of the three roles: player, coach, manager/executive; yes we can surely put Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, Larry Bird, and Steve Kerr on that list. 

That leaves Pat Riley and Jerry West as the only ones excelling in the trifecta (Elgin might be arguable on the list at least).

[Henry]

Although I'm a diehard Bulls fan, while living in L.A., I would often go to Lakers games and marvel at Jerry West's accomplishments. And although Mr. West never beat Boston as a player, he redeemed himself as an executive when the Lakers finally overcame their nemesis 39 years ago (and they've beaten the Celtics in three of the last four Finals meetings--1985, 1987 and 2010). Now he, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain are reunited on the hardwood floor in the sky, and watching over the team they built into championship contenders for years to come.

RIP to the Logo

[hbelkins]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia_Route_44

West has no actual relationship with that part of WV, being from southern Kanawha county and playing in Monongalia county, but someone just decided that the existing 44 should be so signed.  Shame they didn't swap the number for something more geographically appropriate, or at least more significant.

"Zeke from Cabin Creek."

There's a sign memorializing him along the WV Turnpike near the Chelyan exit.