Jerry West, the Lakers legend whose silhouette is immortalized as the NBA’s logo, has died at 86, with his wife Karen by his side.
Jerry West, the basketball icon whose silhouette remains the NBA’s logo, has died at 86. The Los Angeles Clippers announced his passing on Wednesday, noting that his wife Karen was with him.
Nicknamed ‘Zeke from Cabin Creek,’ the West Virginia native joined forces with Elgin Baylor in the 1960s to make the Los Angeles Lakers a dominant team, despite competing against Bill Russell’s powerful Boston Celtics. After Russell retired in 1969, West and Wilt Chamberlain led the Lakers to the 1972 NBA title, although Baylor had already retired.
Chamberlain and Baylor passed away in 1999 and 2021, respectively. West continued his impressive career in the front office, securing eight NBA titles and two Executive of the Year awards. At the time of his death, he was still working in an executive role with the Clippers.
The news of West’s death brought immediate grief from the media and players, including Lakers star LeBron James.
“I will truly miss our conversations, my dear friend!” James wrote on X. “My thoughts and prayers go out to your wonderful family! Forever love Jerry! Rest in Paradise, my guy!”
ESPN’s Mike Greenberg shared the news with his audience, saying, “One of the greatest figures in the history of American sports, one of the greatest players, and one of the most important people in basketball has died. Jerry West has died at the age of 86.”
The Clippers’ statement described West as “the embodiment of basketball excellence and a friend to all who knew him.”
