Get to Know The Legendary Basketball Player Jerry West
The basketball legend Jerry West, whose silhouette inspired the iconic logo of the NBA, dies at the age of 86. Jerry West is one of the most famous American basketball players. Professionally, he played for the Los Angeles Lakers for the National Basketball Association.
Today we are here with Jerry West, his career journey, net worth, his records, and why it is known as the ‘logo.’.
Who is Jerry West? Career Journey & Net Worth
The full name of Jerry West is Jerome Alan West. He was born on 28 May 1938 into a poor household in Chelyan, West Virginia. He was the fifth child out of six children. His mother, Cecil Sue West, was a housewife, while his father, Howard Stewart West, was a coal mine electrician. From 1952 to 1956, Jerry West attended East Bank High School in West Virginia. In 1965 he graduated from East Bank High School, and after that, 60 universities showed interest in Jerry West. Jerry West opted for West Virginia University and chose to stay in his home state.
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Jerry West is a player with a 14-year career all with the Los Angeles Lakers and is known as a true leader. Following the footsteps of Oscar Robertson and Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West was the third player in history to score 25,000 points. Jerry West’s ability to shine in the late game situation gave him the nickname ‘Mr. Clutch’. Every year of his career, Jerry West was an All-Star. Under the leadership of Jerry West, his team, the Lakerswas able to get to the NBA finals nine times, winning a championship in the 1971-72 season. Also in the 1960 Summer Olympics, Jerry West won a gold medal, marking his legendary status in basketball.
At the time of his passing, Jerry West’s estimated net worth was $50 million.
His best history in NBA games and records
Jerry West was the top scorer; his average points per game was 27.0 points, the fourth highest amongst retired players. Jerry West led the Lakers in scoring seven times. In NBA history, Jerry’s average of 29.1 PPG in the playoffs is the fifth highest. Jerry West never won a league MVP, but he established his place in the top five eight different times, which include four second-play finishes. Jerry West is the only player to win the final MVP for the losing team. He has appeared nine times in the finals.
Stats
Jerry West has achieved an array of individual accolades throughout his 14-year NBA career. From 1961 to 1974, Jerry West played 932 games for the Lakers with average points of 27 and 6.7 assists, scoring a total of 25,192 points. 14 times, Jerry West has been selected for the NBA All-Star Game and 10 all NBA First Team Honors. He had also earned four selections to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. His impact on basketball was reflected by winning the NBA final MVP 1969 and 1972 NBA Championship.
Why he is known as “the logo”
Jerry West was famous for his ability to make significant plays and was nicknamed ‘The Logo’ because his silhouette is the basis for the logo of the NBA. One of the most memorable moments of Jerry West came with his buzzer-beater shot to tie Game 3 of the 1970 NBA finals against the New York Knicks, which is regarded as one of the greatest plays in the history of sports. The NBA never officially confirmed whether the silhouette on the NBA logo is of Jerry West, but Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner in 2021, stated that “I’m sure the logo looks a lot like him.”
