Basic Data:  Position:
Guard
Nickname: Mr. Clutch and The Logo
Born:
5/28/38 in Chelyan, W. Va.
Height: 6-2
Weight: 185 lbs.
High School: East Bank (W. Va.)
College: West Virginia University
Career: Drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers in 1960 (second overall)... Played his entire career for the Los Angeles Lakers...
NBA Seasons: 14 (1960-61 / 1973-74)
NBA Titles: 1 in 1971-72
Olympic Gold Medals: 1 in Rome 1960
The Player:
Jerry West was one of the greatest guards in Lakers and NBA history.
Although he was not blessed with great size, strength, or dribbling ability, he was an excellent shooter, a great defender and had a strong personality.
He made the NBA finals 9 times but it was an era dominated by the Celtics who were the winners in West's first 6 finals. But an obsessive of the game as West was wouldn't give up and the first L.A. championship finally was a reality.
The 1971-72 Lakers that included Wilt Chamberlain and Gail Goodrich won an still NBA record 33 consecutive games and finished the season 69-13, a season record only broken by the Bulls of Jordan. West led that historic team to the championship with 25.8 pts and 9.7 assists in the season and 22.9 pts and 8.9 assists in the playoffs.
When he retired in 1974
he was the NBA's leading playoff scorer and
the Lakers all-time leader in scoring, assists, field goals made, free throws made and minutes played. The Coach:
After his retirement the Lakers couldn't make the playoffs for 2 years. He then assumed as a coach to
compile an NBA best 53-29 record during the 1976-77 season
and take the team back to the postseason.
He had a
145-101 (.589) record during his three seasons as coach. At the Front Office:
In different positions in the Lakers front office (consultant/scout/General Manager/Executive Vice President) from 1979 to 2000, he was part of many championship teams, including being responsible of getting Kobe and Shaq together.
|
| Stats |
Season |
Playoffs |
| Points |
27.0 |
29.1 |
| Reb. |
5.8 |
5.6 |
| Assists |
6.7 |
6.4 |
| FG% |
.474 |
.469 |
NBA Titles:
 1971-72 Lakers
Teams:
Lakers
NBA Finals MVP (1969)
NBA All-Star MVP (1972)
Lakers second all-time scoring leader in the season (25192 pts)
Lakers all-time scoring leader in the Playoffs (4457 pts)
All-NBA 1st Team 10 times (1962-67, 1970-73)
All-NBA 2nd Team twice (1968-69)
NBA All-Defensive 1st Team 4 times (1970-73)
NBA All-Defensive 2nd Team (1969)
Fourteen-time NBA All-Star (1961-74)
NBA assists leader (1972 with 747 total assists for a 9.7 average)
NBA scoring leader (1969-70 with 31.2 average)
NBA Executive of the Year (1994-95)
One of 35 Greatest Players in NBA History (1980).
One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).
Inducted into Hall of Fame as Player in 1979
another Jerry West profile... |
