25,000 Points, 9 NBA Finals, and a Hall of Famer, a Look at Jerry West’s Incredible Basketball Career

The basketball world is mourning the death of NBA legend Jerry West who passed away at the age of 86 on Wednesday, as confirmed by the Clippers.

West was born on 28 May 1938, in Chelyan, West Virginia, United States. He graduated from West Virginia University. During his college basketball days, he was known for his leadership prowess. He led the Mountaineers to the NCAA Finals and won the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award in 1959.

Known as “Mr. Clutch” for his late-game heroics, West enjoyed an illustrious career first as a player and then as an executive. He was an integral part of the Los Angeles Laker’s journey to nine NBA finals including a championship win in 1971-72. He became only the third player to reach 25,000 points in the NBA underlining his scoring ability.

“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,” the Clippers wrote on X.

West was inducted into the Hall of Fame three times. First as a player in 1980 and then again as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team, where he won an Olympic gold, in 2010. In 2024, he was inducted for the third time.

In 932 games as a player, he averaged 27 points and 6.7 assists from 1961 to 1974. He was named in 14 NBA All-Star selections and 10 All-NBA First Team honors. He was the MVP in the 1969 NBA Finals and the 1972 NBA Championship.

Jerry West’s General Manager Career

After retiring as a player, West switched his role to a General Manager. He famously built the ‘Showtime Dynasty’ bringing players like Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal to LA. During his tenure, LA lifted five NBA Championships in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988.

He switched to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2002 and solidified them into a regular playoff team. In 2004, West won his second NBA Executive of the Year award.

Golden State Warriors was West’s next destination. During this time he changed the history of NBA. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were his first two drafts followed by Andre Iguodala in 2013. His famous move came in 2016 when he convinced Kevin Durant to join the Warriors. Under his guidance, the Warriors won four NBA championships.

During his final stint as general manager, West joined the Los Angeles Clippers in 2017. West convinced recently crowned Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard to join the Clippers in 2019. In 2021, the Clippers made their first and only conference finals appearance under West’s guidance.