A few hours before game 3 for the title between Dallas and Boston, news shakes the NBA world: Jerry West has died at the age of 86. Just the nickname – “Mr. Logo” – to understand the centrality of the champion, on the pitch and at the desk, who it is said to have inspired the silhouette with its elegance of movements which still today represents the most famous basketball league in the world. Jerry West was first and foremost a player for the Los Angeles Lakers: 14-time All-Star but only once NBA champion (in 1972) and once Finals MVPbut in a different year (the 1969), the only time in its history the league has awarded the Finals MVP award to a player from a losing team. He led the NBA in points (in 1970, with 31.2 per evening) and for assist (in 1972, with a 9.7 average), was obviously included in the Top 50 and in the Top 75 of the league e his No. 44 jersey is retired by the Lakerswhile his name has obviously been in the news for some time Hall of Fame. On the pitch he won less than he deserved – it was the decade of Cousy and Russell’s Celtics dynasty – but his career ended (after a move to the bench) he is behind the desk, as general manager, who took back all the successes that eluded him on the pitch. In these guises – later having chosen, among others, Kobe Bryant and engineered the trade to bring Shaquille O’Neal in yellow and purple – won 6 NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers (he was the architect of the Magic and Kareem team, that of Showtime, but also won a ring in 2000) and two more to the Golden State Warriors.
In 1995, again at the Lakers, he was awarded the best NBA executive, an honor he then repeated when leading the Memphis Grizzlies in 2004. And then there are the Olympic triumph, still as a player, with the gold medal in 1960 in Rome. In addition to being “Mr. Logo”, Jerry West had another nickname, “Mr. Clutch”, because the Lakers always entrusted him with the decisive shot, confident that he wouldn’t miss it. Characteristic in common – at a certain point in his career even wearing the same shirt – with LeBron James, the last of the great yellow-purple superstars, who was among the first to comment on Jerry West’s passing on social media. “I will miss our chats dearly, my dearest friend. My prayers and thoughts go out to your beautiful family. I will love you forever Jerry. Now rest in heaven, friend”
