The Los Angeles 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 86 and this is how the Lakers will be honoring him:
#Lakers will be wearing this No. 44 band on their jerseys this season to honor Jerry West. pic.twitter.com/nudAUoa1EQ
— Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) September 10, 2024
West had a 14-year playing career with the Lakers, making the All-Star team all 14 years in addition to 12 All-NBA selections and five All-Defensive selections.
Following the franchise’s move to Los Angeles, West led the organization to its first NBA championship in Southern California during their historic 1971-72 season. He subsequently inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for the first time in 1979 as a player and then eventually two more times as well.
After his playing career concluded, West remained involved in the Lakers organization and was eventually named general manager of the franchise in 1982. He helped lead them to five titles during the Showtime era, but also built the “three-peat’ roster of the 2000s led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
West helped recruit O’Neal to L.A. by telling him that he would have a young co-star to play with for years to come after drafting Bryant out of high school. He, of course, ended up being right about that.
After leaving the Lakers in 2000, West spent five seasons running the Memphis Grizzlies before retiring as a full-time executive at the age of 69 in 2007. He finished his career as a consultant for the Golden State Warriors from 2011-16 and then the Clippers from 2017 until his death.
Given his work as a player, coach and executive, perhaps no figure is more important in the history of the Lakers than West. With that being the case, it is good to see the organization honoring him properly with these bands in the first season after his death.
West Virginia football honoring Lakers legend Jerry West
Jerry West played his college ball at West Virginia, which the state he grew up in. Similar to the Lakers, the West Virginia football team is honoring West this season by wearing No. 44 patches on their helmets.
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