Jerry West Logo

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Lore & Background

West played college basketball for the West Virginia Mountaineers, leading them to the 1959 NCAA championship game. He earned the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player honor despite the loss. He then embarked on a 14-year career with the Lakers and was co-captain of the 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal team. West was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and as a contributor in 2024.

In Their Own Story

West's journey began in Chelyan, West Virginia, where he grew up in a poor household as the fifth of six children. After his older brother David was killed in action in the Korean War in 1951, an outgoing and aggressive young boy transformed into a shy and introverted one. He spent his days hunting and fishing, but his primary focus became shooting at a basketball hoop nailed to a neighbor's storage shed. Ignoring mud, snow, and even his mother's whippings for coming home late, he perfected his mid-range jump shot from every possible angle. This relentless work ethic followed him to West Virginia University, where he led the Mountaineers to the 1959 NCAA championship game. Despite losing in the final, he earned the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player honor, a testament to his dominance even in defeat.

Reader's Guide

West was voted 12 times into All-NBA First and Second Teams, elected to 14 NBA All-Star Teams, and was All-Star MVP in 1972, the same year he won his only title. He holds the NBA record for highest points per game average in a playoff series (46.3). He was a member of the first five NBA All-Defensive Teams. He is the only player named Finals MVP despite being on the losing team (1969). He was named to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team, the 50 Greatest Players, and the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

Did You Know?

• West's silhouette is the basis for the NBA logo.
• He hit a famous buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals.
• He won four championship rings as Lakers general manager.
• West won three NBA titles as a consultant with the Golden State Warriors (2015, 2017, 2018).