Today, Jerry West is still hanging around the basketball world as a 76 year-old head consultant for the Golden State Warriors, but how much do fans really know about the legend? Jerry West will always be linked to the Los Angeles Lakers and since the Warriors host the Lakers at Oracle Arena tonight, we take a look at West’s impact on the game of basketball and how he’s helped transform several teams in the league.
West The Player
First off, all NBA fans should know Jerry West is the world renowned NBA logo. He played all 14 years of his Hall-of-Fame career with the Los Angeles Lakers and earned the nickname of Mr. Clutch. In his playing days, he stood at 6’2’’ and only 185 pounds. From NBA.com’s Encyclopedia Page, West’s impressive play could land him as the greatest Los Angeles Laker to play:
Combine a deadly jump shot, tenacious defense, obsessive perfectionism, unabashed confidence, and an uncompromising will to win, and you’ve got Jerry West, one of the greatest guards in NBA history.
He led the Lakers to nine Finals appearances but would only walk away with the hardware just once. Attached to his resume is 14 All-Star appearances, 12 All-NBA Team and was honored as one of the NBA’s Top 50 players. In the 1971-72 season, West contributed and nearly averaged 26 and 10 to lead the Lakers in what would go on to become an NBA record of 33 consecutive games won. Today, that record still remains at the top.