The late Lakers superstar taught us to persevere as a player – and the teams he built as an executive spoiled us
Former Lakers star guard and executive Jerry West, seen with the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy before a game Oct. 27, 2009, at Staples Center, died early Wednesday morning at the age of 86. For children of the ’60s, his and the Lakers’ struggles through the decade against the Boston Celtics reminded us that life wasn’t fair, and valiant effort wasn’t necessarily its own reward.
And West also showed us that the rewards eventually come if you persevere. West finally won a championship as a player in 1972, the Lakers’ first title in Los Angeles, and the irony is that the player who is fifth in career playoff scoring and No. 1 in all-time Finals points had his worst Finals in that triumphant moment.
“Emotionally, every day we were on edge,” he told us on the first day of training camp in Hawaii in 1996, watching O’Neal go through his first Lakers workout. “It’s almost like you’re betting your life that you’re going to be able to get something done.” He was a 14-time All-Star and a 12-time All-NBA selection. As noted, he’s No. 1 in NBA Finals points,“He was the Michael Jordan of our day,” said the late Rod Hundley, a former teammate at West Virginia and with the Lakers and later the Utah Jazz play-by-play announcer.
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