It’s one thing to have your jersey retired, but to have your career with the Lakers immortalized through a statue outside of STAPLES Center exhibits a completely different stature of greatness. Today, at 5 p.m. PST in Star Plaza, hall-of-famer and Lakers-legend Jerry West will finally receive this honor, as he will be revealed as the newest statue outside of STAPLES Center, joining Magic Johnson and Chick Hearn as the other two members of the Lakers’ organization to have their careers cemented into history (literally).
Although he has constantly been overshadowed by the rings and individual awards of Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, West has arguably been the most influential figure in Lakers’ history.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FCoifWtapc&feature=related
No, he was never voted the league’s Most Valuable Player and he was only a member of one NBA championship-winning team; however, he is the only player in NBA history to ever win the Finals MVP award while playing for the losing team. He was also named to the All-NBA First Team 10 times while being selected as an all-star in each of his 14 seasons as a Laker. Oh yeah, and the player who’s dribbling a basketball in the NBA’s logo – that’s West’s silhouette.
It’s not even his 25,192 career points or his 6,238 assists that make Mr. Clutch worthy of a statue outside STAPLES Center – although his numbers certainly didn’t hamper his case for one. Rather, his contributions extend past the hardwood and into the Lakers’ front office, where he helped orchestrate nearly 30 years of excellent basketball.
Next: Beyond the Hardwood
Upon his retirement in 1974, West remained in the Lakers’ fold, and prior to the 1976-77 season, he was appointed as the team’s head coach. Although he was never able to direct the Lakers to a title, the Lakers made the playoffs each year under his watch, and even reached the Western Conference Finals in 1977. He was only the team’s coach for three seasons, but he finished his coaching stint with a 145-101 record during that time, and following his tenure, he remained with the Lakers as a scout until 1982-83, when he became their General Manager.
Under West’s watch as GM, the Lakers managed to capture three titles from 1985 to 1988 (giving them five for the decade) and although the Purple and Gold went through a rough patch during the 1990s, West was the mastermind in setting the Lakers up for their dominating success of the 2000s.
While current General Manager Mitch Kupchak has been largely credited for the Lakers success as of late, none of it would have been possible if not for the foundation set up by West prior to the 1996-97 season – arguably the most influential offseason in Lakers’ history.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAdgxyC1ehA
Remember Shaquille O’Neal? Three-time NBA champion and Finals MVP as a Laker, one-time regular season MVP and possibly the most dominating center to ever don the Purple and Gold? Yeah, he ended up in Los Angeles somehow, and West was the man behind it all. At 24 years old, O’Neal had already taken the league by storm in his first four years as a member of the Orlando Magic – leading them to the Finals during his third year while averaging a near-league best 29.3 PPG during the regular season.
West didn’t just bring in Shaq that offseason either, that summer he also managed to trade center Vlade Divac for the rights to Kobe Bryant, a trade that is still having exceedingly positive reverberations today. West also found gems in key role players such as Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Robert Horry, Glen Rice and Ron Harper, all of whom have made major contributions to the Lakers five championship teams since 2000.
After leaving the Lakers in 2002, West was signed on as the Memphis Grizzlies’ new GM, looking to take another franchise from the bottom to the top. “After being a part of the Lakers success for so many years, I have always wondered how it would be to build a winning franchise that has not experienced much success. I want to help make a difference,” West said of his decision to join the Grizzlies’ front office.
Apparent through his accomplishments off of the court, it’s obvious that West’s contributions to the Lakers franchise have been monumental, to say the least. Therefore, it is only fitting that the man nicknamed “The Logo,” receive a permanent testament to his illustrious career as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The unveiling of his statue is free to the public and will take place at 5 p.m. tonight in Star Plaza outside of STAPLES Center.