Los Angeles Lakers to unveil statue of Jerry West at All-Star Game
Even casual basketball fans know who Jerry West is. They just might not realize it’s him.
The 14-time NBA All-Star is the silhouetted man in the NBA logo and will be honoured at this year’s All-Star Game in Los Angeles when a statue bearing his likeness will be unveiled outside
Staples Center, according to ESPNLosAngeles.com.
West will be the fifth statue to be installed outside the arena and the third that is Lakers-related. Magic Johnson, 12-time NBA All-Star and five-time NBA champion, and Chick Hearn, the
Lakers’ play-by-play announcer from 1965 to 2001, are the two others.
Wayne Gretzky and Oscar De La Hoya are the two non-basketball statues outside Staples Center.
Johnson’s statue was unveiled at the 2004 NBA All-Star Game, the last time Los Angeles hosted the event.
Apart from being known as “The Logo,” West was also known as “Mr. Clutch” for his ability to help his team when they needed it the most. Drafted in 1960, West played his entire 14-year
career with the Lakers, winning the championship in 1972. He was named to the All-NBA First Team 10 times and was named as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996. West scored 25,192 career points for the Lakers, a franchise record before Kobe
Bryant passed him during the 2009-10 season. The 6ft 2in West has career averages of 27.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.7 assists.
After finishing his playing career, West coached the team for three seasons and then acted as player-scout for another three years before being named general manager, leading the Lakers
to seven NBA championships.
Jeanie Buss, the Lakers executive vice president of business operations, made mention of the statue in her new book “Laker Girl.” In the book, Buss said it was her “dream” to get another
statue up in time for the 2011 All-Star Game. But she was unsure who it should be.
"Who is the next Laker deserving of the honor?" Buss writes. "Some would say Jerry West. Others would favor Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar]. It's a tough choice."
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