© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
(Los Angeles, CA) – As the word came into the newsroom, someone said: the logo has died. Jerry West, who won eight NBA championships as an executive and one as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, has passed away at the age of 86. West was currently working as an executive with the crosstown LA Clippers, who announced the basketball legend’s death.
West, nicknamed “the Logo” because his form while dribbling the basketball inspired the NBA’s red, white, and blue logo, was named the 1959 NCAA Final Four MVP. He was selected 2nd overall by the Lakers in the 1960 NBA Draft. Heartbreakingly for him and Lakers fans, West led LA to the NBA Finals nine times, but one just once — in 1972. But he enjoyed far more success as a NBA front-office executive, and is remembered as the architect of the Lakers’ dynasties in the 1980s and early 2000s.
A breakout star of the West Virginia high school basketball scene — West also co-captained the 1960 US Olympic squad — and was one of basketball’s first megastars. He reportedly passed away at home peacefully.
Despite enjoying so much success in sports, West also battled depression throughout his life. The son of a coalminer, he endured a challenging childhood, and struggled with the loss of his brother who was killed during the Korean War in 1951. He worked as an advocate for mental health in his later years, and disclosed his depression battle in a 2011 memoir titled, “West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life.”
