Lakers News: Magic Johnson & Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Among Presenters For Jerry West Hall Of Fame Enshrinement

Ron Gutterman
3 Min Read
(Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers late legend Jerry West is going into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024 for the third time. He is already in the Hall of Fame as a player for his incredible stint with the Lakers from 1960-74. He was inducted a second time as part of the 1960 United States Olympic team.

Now, he is being inducted in 2024 for his work as an executive with the Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and L.A. Clippers. West is credited with the beginnings of several dynasties and some of the best stints in both Grizzlies and Clippers franchise history.

West sadly passed away in June of 2024, meaning he won’t be in attendance at his induction ceremony. But he’ll have a Hall of Fame list of presenter to help enshrine him, including Lakers legend Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:

Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar are the headliners of the list, but every person presenting West’s enshrinement has made incredible contributions to the game of basketball. James Worthy and Michael Cooper — the latter being inducted as a player this year — were huge parts of the Showtime era orchestrated by West.

As were Jamaal Wilkes and Bob McAdoo, who played for the first two championship teams of that era. Pat Riley coached the Showtime Lakers and Del Harris took his place from there in the 1990s. Vlade Divac was one of the most well-known players of the era between showtime and when Shaquille O’Neal arrived.

O’Neal and Pau Gasol finish out the list with legendary Lakers careers of their own. A person of West’s stature in the sports world is getting a fitting tribute with some of the greatest figures in the game’s history presenting his Hall of Fame enshrinement.

Lakers honoring Jerry West with No. 44 band

The Lakers announced that they will open their season on Tuesday, Oct. 22 by honoring Jerry West as they host the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena.

Recognizing the significant contributions West made to the organization as a player and executive across three decades, the team will wear a commemorative No. 44 band on the left shoulder of its uniform this season.

West passed away earlier this summer at the age of 88 and this is one way the Lakers will be honoring him in the upcoming season. They will also be retiring Michael Cooper’s No. 21 jersey in January since he made the Hall of Fame.

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Ron Gutterman is a Washington State University alum from Anaheim, California, and is currently a Staff Writer for LakersNation.com, RamsNewsWire.com, and RaidersNewsWire.com. He is also the lead editor for AngelsNation.com. With Lakers Nation, Rams News Wire, Raiders News Wire, and Angels Nation, Ron assists in news, game coverage, analysis, and hot takes via his Twitter account, @rongutterman24. Without a doubt, Ron's favorite Laker, and favorite athlete of all time, is Kobe Bryant. Ron began watching basketball when he was 6 years old, in 2005, when Bryant was dragging the likes of Smush Parker and Ronny Turiaf to playoff spots. Ron's all time favorite Lakers moment was Bryant's final game when he dropped 60 points. While the Lakers beating the Celtics in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, as Metta World Peace hit the game clinching three, will always be a top option, Bryant's final night takes the cake. Contact: ron@mediumlargela.com
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