Jerry West, basketball legend and the NBA’s logo silhouette, dead at 86
Al Jazeera
West was one of the greatest players in NBA history, redefining the modern day shooting guard position in basketball.
Jerry West, an iconic 1960s star guard for the Los Angeles Lakers who inspired the NBA logo, died Wednesday at age 86, the Los Angeles Clippers announced.
West played for the Lakers from 1960 through 1974, winning his only NBA title in 1972, and was co-captain on the 1960 Rome Olympic US basketball gold medal squad.
In later years, West served as an executive on several NBA clubs, most recently the Clippers.
With impressive speed and quickness and a deft shooting touch, West was nicknamed “Mr Clutch” for his skilled shot-making under pressure.
In the 1969 NBA Finals against the archrival Boston Celtics, he received the Most Valuable Player award even though the Celtics beat the Lakers for the title.
