Jerry West’s 10 Greatest Moments In The NBA

We naturally have to start with Jerry West’s first and only NBA championship. West finally climbed to the top of the mountain with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1972 after losing in the Finals six times.

West and Wilt Chamberlain would lose the opening contest and then steamroll their way to four straight wins to bring home the hardware.

The Lakers would go 1-8 in the NBA Finals with West.

Jerry West’s incredible 60-foot shot at the buzzer tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.

The shot is often considered one of the greatest in NBA history and forced the game into overtime.

Unfortunately for West and the Lakers, as was often the case throughout his career, greatness would lead to heartache as the Knicks wound up winning in OT, 111-108, and went on to win the series in seven games.

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West became the first and only player to win the NBA Finals MVP award while being on the losing team. It was an honor that would cement his legacy as a tragic figure, always fighting but somehow never ending up with the championship ring.

West fought through exhaustion early on and a severely injured hamstring later in the series against the Boston Celtics to deliver clutch performance after clutch performance.

In game 7, West dropped a triple-double of 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists but the team Lakers still lost 108-106.

Team captain Elgin Baylor went down with a career-threatening knee injury and Jerry West stepped in and willed his team to victory in the series against the Baltimore Bullets.

Here are his point totals for each of the six games in that series: 49, 52, 44, 48, 43, and 42.

His 46.3 points per game is a figure that still stands as an NBA record in a playoff series.

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West was a 14-time NBA All-Star and in 1972 he won his first and only MVP for the game.

He played 27 minutes in the game in front of a home crowd in Inglewood, California, pouring in 13 points, none more important than his last two.

West hit a last-second 20-foot jump shot to break the tie and win the game for the West, 112-110.

West was the second overall pick for the Milwaukee Lakers in the 1960 NBA draft. Without him going at number two, many of these career highlights with the franchise might never have happened.

He played for West Virginia University where he averaged 24.8 points and 13.3 rebounds per game for the Mountaineers.

Oscar Roberston went first in the 1960 draft and Darrall Imhoff, Jackie Moreland, and Lee Shaffer went after West. Laker history might have been very different had they passed over West.

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Equally as impressive as his playing career was Jerry West’s success as the general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers.

West won 8 NBA Titles as an executive, most of which came while he was general manager, a stint that began before the 1982-1983 season.

He played a significant role in building the “Showtime” dynasty of the 1980s and the Kobe/Shaq dynasty of the early 2000s. West won Executive of the Year in 1995 and 2004.

Jerry West’s jersey number, 44, was retired by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1983.

This honor came after a storied career with the Lakers. much of which has been highlighted here, during which West became an NBA All-Star in every season and led the team to nine NBA Finals appearances.

The retirement of his jersey number was a fitting tribute to his contributions to the franchise and the NBA as a whole.

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Jerry West was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame a record three times in his illustrious career.

He was first inducted as a player in 1980, then as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010, and finally as a contributor in 2024.

His induction as a contributor recognized his significant contributions to the sport as an executive, including his role in building championship teams with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jerry West’s silhouette became the iconic NBA logo in 1969. It was designed by Alan Siegel.

The logo was inspired by a photograph of West dribbling, capturing his grace and fluid movement on the basketball court.

In his biography, Jerry West: The Life and Legend of a Basketball Icon, it’s noted that West is not above jokingly introducing himself by saying, “I’m the logo.”

If he’s saying those three words right now at the pearly gates God himself might just say, “I know.”