NBA's Greatest - Jerry West

Part of the legendary Lakers team of the 1960's and the 1970's, Jerry West is perhaps one of the top 3 guards in the franchise's history. In 1974, the 36-year-old West left the game as the NBA's third-leading career scorer, behind Chamberlain and Robertson, with 25,192 points in 932 games. His average of 27.0 ppg game stands as the fourth highest among retired players, behind Michael Jordan, Chamberlain and Baylor. His 31.2 ppg in 1969-70 (at age 31) is the highest average ever for a player over 30. And his 6,238 career assists (6.7 apg) rank among the best ever. Only Jordan had a higher career scoring average in the playoffs, and only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar tallied more career points in the postseason.

Nicknamed 'Mr.Clutch', West was a stellar performer throughout his career in pressure situations. When West was drafted by the Lakers as their second overall pick, few people thought he would go on to achieve such amazing heights. He started out as a back up guard, but within a couple of seasons he had become one of the primary scoring options for his team. After the injury to Elgin Baylor, West became the undisputed leader of the Lakers, and formed one of the strongest one-two punches in the league along with Baylor. With Baylor playing from the low post and West dominating with his precision shooting, the duo came to be known as "Mr.Inside" and "Mr.Outside".

With West on their roster, the Lakers made the Finals a total of 9 times, but sadly ended up on the losing side in 8 of those. Their only win came in the famous 1971-72 season, beating out the Knicks 4-1. That year the Lakers also recorded the best record in the regular season with 69-13, and winning 33 games in a row at one point. With the addition of the Great Wilt Chamberlain and the sharp shooting Gail Goodrich, this Lakers team is regarded by many as one of the best teams to ever grace the NBA. West was also exemplary in the 1969 Finals, when he won the Finals MVP award despite ending up on the losing side, becoming the only player in history to do so. In 1970, although the Lakers lost to the Knicks in the Finals, in game 3 Mr.Clutch hit his famous 60-foot buzzer beater to force overtime. West is also credited with finishing a playoff series with an average of 46.3 ppg against the Bullets in 1965.

Although West enjoyed great individual success during his prime, the team's record is a study in frustration -- "unbelievable frustration" is how West described it to the Los Angeles Times Magazine. During the nine seasons from 1962 to 1970 the Lakers reached the Finals six times, losing to Boston five times and to the Knicks once. Three of the Finals went seven games, with the Lakers losing two of those Game 7 contests to the Celtics by a single basket. And in 1969, as in 1962, the Lakers led Boston after five games only to drop the last two contests.

After retirement, West continued his love affair with the Los Angeles Lakers, becoming Head Coach and then General Manager for the club. He guided the team to three playoff appearances as Head Coach, helped bring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the side, and then presided over the Lakers dynasty of the 1980's and early 2000's. He was instrumental in the Showtime Lakers era, guiding coach Pat Riley and the young Magic Johnson to unprecedented success. He was also at the forefront of rebuilding the Lakers into championship shape by adding Shaquille O'Neal as a free agent and trading for Kobe Bryant, who entered the NBA out of high school in 1996. Those two players formed the nucleus of three consecutive championship teams beginning with capturing the 2000 NBA Finals.

After being employed by the Lakers for over 40 years, West retired but soon became the President, Basketball Operations of the Memphis Grizzlies on April 30, 2002. He would turn the franchise into a playoff contender and eventually end up winning another Executive of the Year title, after winning his first title with the Lakers. Jerry West remains an embodiment of tenacious defense, obsessive perfectionism, unabashed confidence, and an uncompromising will to win. His lightning quick release and perfect shooting make him one of the greatest players of all-time. His silhouette is enshrined in the NBA logo, and serves as a reminder to everyone of one of the Greatest basketball players to ever live.