LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 24: Former Los Angeles Lakers great Jerry West (L) speaks while former ... [+]
I knew Jerry West for nearly 40 years and I can safely say there has never been anyone quite like him.
West was one of the greatest players in NBA history, but he didn't think of himself like that. He was tortured by his losses.
You can see West’s silhouette in the NBA logo, an icon for a legend. But he didn't think of himself that way, either. He was a picture of humility and never talked about his accomplishments.
His his body of work as an NBA executive was unparalleled, building several dynasties at the Lakers and transforming other teams. But West never mentioned any of that. He was revered by legends of the game — the same players he himself revered.
West was a mystery, an anomaly, and one of the most complicated people I have ever met — high strung, brutally honest, and oh-so genuine. Despite all his extraordinary success, in many ways, West was a tortured soul, as he admitted in his autobiography, “West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life.”
With West, there was no façade. What you saw was what you got. He had trouble hiding his emotions. Instead of expressing them, outwardly and bombastically, as he was famously mischaracterized in the show, “Winning Time,” West would turn his emotions inward, often causing an internal combustion of pain. He was filled with so much anxiety he couldn't even watch his teams play—often standing in the tunnel with his emotion rising or falling based on the reaction of the crowd.
I had the honor of working closely with West during the period when I represented Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during the first Lakers “Showtime” dynasty, and I worked around the clock with West when I represented Shaquille O’Neal on the complicated transaction that brought Shaq and Kobe Bryant to the Lakers.
On the night West and I finalized Shaq’s deal to come to the Lakers, we were in his room on the 36th floor at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta at 1 A.M. It was during the Olympic Games in 1996 and Shaq was on Team USA. I had promised West that Shaq would come by the room at 10 P.M. that evening to sign his Lakers contract. But Shaq was running late from a team meeting.
West had traded away nearly the entire Lakers roster in order to make cap for Shaq, including George Lynch, the team’s starting forward, and Vlade Divac, the starting center. So with Shaq three hours late to sign the deal, West was a wreck. He looked at me nervously and said, "Leonard, if Shaquille doesn't come through that door sometime soon, I'm gonna jump out this window." He looked serious.
Moments later, Shaq walked through the door with a big smile on his face and said: “Mr. West, I’m ready to sign.” The relief on West’s face was unmistakable. He looked like a kid who just got his favorite toy for Christmas.
Jerry West was a master at identifying talent. He knew Bryant would be the next great player before anyone did. In fact, when he traded away many of his top players to make cap room for Shaq, West masterfully secured the 17th pick in the first round of the NBA draft that year. And with that pick he selected Bryant. That's how the Shaq-Kobe duo came about.
When I remember most about West was that you could trust him and he absolutely loved all the players he worked with. He loved Shaq, he loved Kobe, and he was a confidant for nearly every great player in the game. Michael Jordan, LeBron James —they all sought him out for advice because they knew that West cared about the players first and foremost. They all loved him, and they all looked at him as a mentor and inspiration.
Not only will Jerry West live on as the logo of the NBA. He is someone that will always be an integral part of the game and culture of basketball.
Although you were tortured when alive, rest in peace, my dear friend. You will be forever treasured, remembered, and loved by the people you touched.
