Jerry West, who was selected three times to the Basketball Hall of Fame in a storied career as a player and manager and whose silhouette forms the basis of the NBA logo, died Wednesday morning, the Los Angeles Clippers announced. He was 86.
West, nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his late-game exploits as a player, was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and again in 2010 as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team. He will be enshrined for a third time . as a contributor later this year.
He was general manager of eight NBA championship teams with the Los Angeles Lakers and helped build the “Showtime” dynasty. He also worked in the front offices of the Memphis Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors and the Clippers.
West was “the personification of basketball excellence and a friend to all who knew him,” the Clippers said in announcing his death. West’s wife, Karen, was by his side when he died, the Clippers said.
He was a fourteen-time All-Star, a twelve-time All-NBA selection, part of the 1972 championship-winning Lakers team, an NBA Finals MVP as part of a losing team in 1969 and selected as part of the N.B.A. . 75th anniversary team.
West also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019.