NBA World Honors Jerry West Following Lakers Legend’s Passing

The NBA world paid tribute to the late Los Angeles Lakers icon Jerry West on Wednesday following news of his passing at the age of 86. West was a highly accomplished figure in the NBA, winning championships as both a player and an executive. He was also selected to the Hall of Fame three times and is immortalized as the silhouette on the NBA logo.

NBA legend Michael Jordan expressed his sadness at the news of West’s death, describing him as a friend and mentor. Jordan regretted never having had the opportunity to compete against West on the court and wished he could have been his teammate.

LeBron James, a star player for the Los Angeles Lakers, also shared a tribute to West, saying he will miss their conversations. NBA commissioner Adam Silver honored West as a basketball genius and a defining figure in the league for over six decades.

West was recognized by USA Basketball for his role in leading Team USA to a gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Many other members of the NBA community shared their own tributes in memory of the late NBA legend.

In his career, West led the Lakers to nine NBA Finals and was named Finals MVP despite being on the losing team in 1969. He was key in the Lakers’ 1972 championship win. As an executive, he orchestrated the “Showtime” Lakers’ success in the 1980s and acquired stars like Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in the late 1990s. West retired as the third player in NBA history to score 25,000 career points and still holds the No. 25 spot on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.