FILE – West Virginia University's Jerry West (44) takes a jump shot against George Washington University during a Southern Conference game in Washington, March 1, 1958. Also in the photo are West Virginia University's Lloyd Schaller, 31, and George Washington University's Gene Guaria, 54. and Mr. Howard McDonald (50). (AP Photo/Harvey Georges, File)
MORGANTOWN – The way relationships intertwine in sports is sometimes strange, almost eerie. We were reminded of that last week when West Virginia legend Jerry West was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for the third time in three different categories.
It's amazing that West was honored as an athlete, as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team, and now as a lifetime contributor to the sport, but 64 years after playing, West is still active and important. It is equally surprising that it exists. Last match as a mountaineer.
And that's where the story behind this latest appointment begins.
West played his final game as a Mountaineer in Charlotte on March 12, 1960, defeating St. Joseph's 106-100. He had 37 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 assists, and had 15 games with 30 or more points, three of which were 40 or more, but he had six games left to score 30 points. The season ended with an underachievement. season.
St. Joseph's team in that final game had a player named Paul Westhead, but he struggled in a miserable game against West, hitting just 2 of 13 shots.
Fast forward to his playing career with the Lakers. His career still ranks him among the top 10 NBA players of all time. He only won the championship once during his playing days, but I remember that the Boston Celtics dynasty led by Bill Russell was at its peak at the time, and in the playoffs West's Lakers were the Washington Generals of the Celtics. I have to keep it.
West coached the Lakers from 1977 to 1979, and was replaced by Jack McKinney. However, McKinney was injured in a serious bicycle accident, and the Lakers elected to name an interim coach.
The interim coach selected by team owner Dr. Jerry Buss was Paul Westhead.
Well, just when the inevitable happened and McKinney felt like he was ready to return, Bass felt otherwise and let Westhead continue, and McKinney was ejected. Westhead graduated that year and coached the following year, but Bass fired Westhead 24 hours after Magic Johnson, dissatisfied with the new offensive line Westhead had brought in, requested a trade. did.
His solution was to make Pat Riley his coach, but by this time he had hired his top advisor, Jerry West, to coach him while Riley was supposed to coach the defense. He was appointed in charge of the offense.
This reassured the Magic, and West certainly went with it if he was a Hall of Fame contributor who would become the league's logo.
The New York Times reported the situation as follows:
“I think Pat and Jerry need to sit down and decide what their responsibilities are,” Bass said.
West, who has been a consultant for the Lakers, saw his role as Riley's assistant.
“I'm going to work for Pat,” he said. “This is not a permanent situation for me. I feel more confident now that Pat has taken over. He has ideas and I have ideas.”
In 1982, when Riley took over as coach, West became general manager and scored almost as often as he did as a player. He was the architect of the 1980s dynasty, signing Shaquille O'Neal as a free agent in 1996, trading Kobe Bryant out of high school, building a new championship, and the dynasty was built around him. .
They have won three consecutive NBA Finals since 2000.
It wasn't the “Showtime” of the Magic era, but it was exactly as feared in the NBA.
And when he left the Lakers, he didn't leave basketball. What’s a logo without a league to represent?
He spent five years as team president, rebuilding the Memphis Grizzlies and helping them reach the playoffs three times, before becoming an advisor to the Warriors and Clippers.
What's interesting is that at 85 years old, Jerry West doesn't feel like he's running out of time, just out of the Hall of Fame category.
