Jerry West — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

American basketball player and executive
Played 14 seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers, earning 14 NBA All-Star selections and 12 All-NBA Team honors
Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player (1980) and as a contributor (2024)
Won 6 NBA championship rings as general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers
Won the NBA Executive of the Year Award twice (1995, 2004)
His silhouette is the basis for the NBA logo

Biography

Jerry Alan West (May 28, 1938 – June 12, 2024) was an American basketball player and executive, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He played college basketball for the West Virginia Mountaineers, leading them to the 1959 NCAA championship game and earning the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player honor. West then embarked on a 14-year professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), serving as co-captain of the 1960 U.S.