DALLAS — I remember the first time I saw Jerry West, the logo, Mr. Clutch, the great talent and dynasty builder. It was October 2002, during his first preseason as general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies. After practice, he stood at the basket and talked shooting form with a young Earl Watson.
Watson was just 23 and trying to hone his game, but he’d signed with Memphis thanks to West. And there they were, in an unassuming gym, representing an unassuming franchise, practicing the subtleties of the jump shot. West grabbed a basketball, stood two feet from the hoop with Watson, and took a shot using only his right hand. The position of his elbow, the way he held the ball in his fingertips, the release, the follow-through – everything was meticulously attended to. West would take a couple of shots, hand the ball off to Watson, correct them, take another shot, then step back. He never shot more than about eight feet. It was a quick 30-minute lesson, but it was mesmerizing to watch West, a uniquely long-lasting and influential figure in basketball history, so carefully take his shots.
The Grizzlies had spent one season in Memphis since relocating from Vancouver. They had a record of 124-418 in their first seven seasons, a winning percentage of .229. But now they had West, a legendary star with the Los Angeles Lakers who had also coached for several seasons. Though he was getting more attention than his players in promotions throughout Memphis, West was a humble perfectionist from Cherian, West Virginia, who just wanted to do the right thing for the game.
The sports world is now celebrating the life he was blessed with. West died on Wednesday, at age 86, the morning of Game 3 of the NBA Finals. His loss during this event is especially heartbreaking. It was the one thing he never mastered as a player. He played in nine Finals games and won one. Six of those eight losses came to the indomitable Boston Celtics. His professional career, which lasted from 1960 to 1974, was a mix of excellence, misery and tenacity. His determination was almost brave, because he had to fight his own darkness to move forward. The title of his memoir best describes his character: “West by West: My Fascinating and Tormented Life.”
In the book, West collaborated with author Jonathan Coleman on a brutally honest self-examination. His candor conveys his pain. It also conveys his genius. West was very aware of his shortcomings, yet was adamant about improving. Whether it was to take on the Celtics again or himself, he kept rising.
He learned a harsh lesson about the limits of individual greatness. In 1969, he was named Finals MVP, but the Lakers lost to the Celtics in seven games. He remains the only player to be named Finals MVP in a losing game. West was given a car for his performance, a green Dodge Charger, the color of the Celtics’ road jersey.
In a vintage interview, he was wearing a black suit and answering a few questions in front of his car while accepting his MVP gift, and about the loss he said, “I know it’s going to be hard to comprehend, especially this summer.”
In his book, he writes about that summer: “I felt lost and depressed. Wherever I went, I had trouble making eye contact with people.”
In 1969, the NBA hired a branding firm to design a new logo that’s still in use today: a silhouette of West dribbling. The league has kept the fact a secret, but it’s an open secret. In typical West fashion, he was uncomfortable with being inspired by one of the most famous emblems in sports.
“I feel like I have to apologize for that symbol,” he once said. “It’s not fun.”
When West finally broke through and helped the Lakers win the 1972 NBA title, he struggled with his shooting, but the team was undeniably well-rounded, finishing the regular season 69-13 and rattling off a 33-game winning streak. The first-time champion spent the offseason in deep reflection.
“It was especially frustrating because I played so badly that teams beat me,” West said later. “Maybe that’s just how it is with teams.”
That’s West. Conflicted and humble, but never tired. He learned a lesson from every win and setback. West entered the NBA in its 14th year, and over the past 64 years, no one has had a more thorough impact on the sport than he has. He is widely hailed as one of the top 20 players of all time, and as an executive, he is unmatched because of the impact he has had on so many franchises. He was behind the “Showtime” Lakers and had the vision to pair Shaquille O’Neal with Kobe Bryant. In Memphis, he persuaded 69-year-old Hubie Brown to return to coaching after a 15-year hiatus and teach the Grizzlies how to win. In 2011, West came out of retirement to help build the Warriors’ dynasty as an executive officer for Golden State. Since 2017, he has held a similar role with owner Steve Ballmer and the Los Angeles Clippers, who, while not yet competing for a championship, have built a reputation as a sustainable championship contender.
As an executive, West helped the Lakers win eight championships, which coincidentally matches the number of runner-up finishes the Lakers had during his playing career. But whether you evaluate West by wins or losses, he should be remembered as a meticulous basketball guru who paid attention to every little detail, from a young backup point guard’s shot to the finer details of player evaluation. He was known for drafting and acquiring big stars, but even a close examination of his track record as a GM shows that he was incredibly successful with every decision he made.
No one has seen the game more clearly from so many angles and through so many different eras than West, and one can only hope that in all his self-deprecation and humility he was aware of the enormous impact he had on his profession.
“My wife, Connie, called him my ‘basketball dad,'” Ballmer said in a statement. “He was truly my basketball sage — smart, loyal and a lot of fun. You could feel his competitive spirit and drive when you were around him. He cared about everything and everyone. From the day I first met Jerry seven years ago, his intellect, integrity and enthusiasm inspired me. He never quit. I spent a lot of time with him. It was the best time of my life.”
With the Celtics leading the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals, maybe West didn’t want to risk watching his rival win his 18th championship, tying him with the Lakers for the most in league history. West can now rest easy, no more pain, and be forever happy.
