Los Angeles Lakers late legend Jerry West is going into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024 for the third time. He is already in the Hall of Fame as a player for his incredible stint with the Lakers from 1960-74. He was inducted a second time as part of the 1960 United States Olympic team.
Now, he is being inducted in 2024 for his work as an executive with the Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and L.A. Clippers. West is credited with the beginnings of several dynasties and some of the best stints in both Grizzlies and Clippers franchise history.
West sadly passed away in June of 2024, meaning he won’t be in attendance at his induction ceremony. But he’ll have a Hall of Fame list of presenter to help enshrine him, including Lakers legend Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Announces 2024 Enshrinement Ceremony Presenters. (4/4) #24HoopClass pic.twitter.com/LGdHCmqN86
— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) September 12, 2024
Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar are the headliners of the list, but every person presenting West’s enshrinement has made incredible contributions to the game of basketball. James Worthy and Michael Cooper — the latter being inducted as a player this year — were huge parts of the Showtime era orchestrated by West.
As were Jamaal Wilkes and Bob McAdoo, who played for the first two championship teams of that era. Pat Riley coached the Showtime Lakers and Del Harris took his place from there in the 1990s. Vlade Divac was one of the most well-known players of the era between showtime and when Shaquille O’Neal arrived.
O’Neal and Pau Gasol finish out the list with legendary Lakers careers of their own. A person of West’s stature in the sports world is getting a fitting tribute with some of the greatest figures in the game’s history presenting his Hall of Fame enshrinement.
Lakers honoring Jerry West with No. 44 band
The Lakers announced that they will open their season on Tuesday, Oct. 22 by honoring Jerry West as they host the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena.
Recognizing the significant contributions West made to the organization as a player and executive across three decades, the team will wear a commemorative No. 44 band on the left shoulder of its uniform this season.
West passed away earlier this summer at the age of 88 and this is one way the Lakers will be honoring him in the upcoming season. They will also be retiring Michael Cooper’s No. 21 jersey in January since he made the Hall of Fame.
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