NBA legend Jerry West died at the age of 86 on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Clippers announced.
Tributes have been pouring in since the news was announced on Wednesday morning, but one from fellow NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan painted a beautiful picture of his friendship with West.
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith read aloud a text from Jordan live on First Take.
"I am so deeply saddened at the news of Jerry's passing. He was truly a friend and a mentor. Like an older brother to me," Jordan wrote. "I valued his friendship and knowledge. I always wished I could've played against him as a competitor, but the more I came to know him, I wish I had been his teammate. I admired his basketball insights. He and I shared many similarities to how we approached the game. He will be forever missed. My condolences to his wife, Karen, and sons. Rest in Peace, Logo."
Michael Jordan texted @stephenasmith to honor Jerry West.
"I am so deeply saddened at the news of Jerry's passing. He was truly a friend and a mentor. Like an older brother to me. ... Rest in Peace, Logo." pic.twitter.com/kvkXqqSf63
West played in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers for 14 years, averaging 27.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game. West helped the Lakers win one NBA title, and he was also a 14-time All-Star and named to 12 All-NBA teams along with five All-Defense teams. He is still the only player in NBA history to win a Finals MVP while playing for the losing team. During this time his silhouette was used for the now-famous logo of the league, hence his most famous nickname: The Logo.
West later coached the Lakers for a few seasons, and then became a scout and later the general manager. He served as the Memphis Grizzlies' general manager from 2002–07 after retiring from the Lakers in 2000. In 2011, he became an executive board member for the Golden State Warriors. He'd been consulting for the Clippers since the 2017 season.
MADISON WILLIAMS
Madison Williams is a Staff Writer on the Breaking & Trending News Team at Sports Illustrated, where she has covered the entire sports landscape since 2022. She specializes in tennis, but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining Sports Illustrated, Madison worked with The Sporting News. She hails from Augustana College and completed a Master’s in Sports Media at Northwestern University. Madison is a dog mom and an avid reader.
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