Basketball legend Jerry West, whose photograph was used to create the iconic NBA logo, died on Wednesday at the age of 86. The Los Angeles Clippers announced his death but has yet to provide more details. West had been working as a consultant for the team over the last seven years.
“Jerry West, the personification of basketball excellence and a friend to all who knew him, passed away peacefully this morning at the age of 86,” the team wrote on their X account. “His wife, Karen, was by his side.”
Jerry West, the personification of basketball excellence and a friend to all who knew him, passed away peacefully this morning at the age of 86. His wife, Karen, was by his side. pic.twitter.com/iMwOXmCT2B
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) June 12, 2024
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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said West, an NBA champion, was also “one of the greatest executives in sports history.”
“He helped build eight championship teams during his tenure in the NBA — a legacy of achievement that mirrors his on-court excellence,” Silver said. “And he will be enshrined this October into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor, becoming the first person ever inducted as both a player and a contributor. I valued my friendship with Jerry and the knowledge he shared with me over many years about basketball and life.”
West, whose nickname was “Mr. Clutch” due to his tendency to pull off great stunts late in a game, was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame twice, first as a player in 1980 and second to commemorate his time on the gold-winning 1960 US Olympic Team in 2010.
USA Basketball mourns the loss of basketball icon Jerry West.
West won gold medals with the 1959 U.S. Pan American Games Team & the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team.
He went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 & again as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010. He will be… pic.twitter.com/hwBrcasPaE
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) June 12, 2024
Shane Devine is a writer covering politics and business for VT and a regular guest on The Unusual Suspects. Follow Shane’s work here.
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