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Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics (Source: X)
The NBA honored Hall of Famer Jerry West on Wednesday night, only hours after his passing, before Game 3 of the NBA Finals. West, who died at home early on Wednesday, aged 86.
Before Game 3 between Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics at the American Airlines Centre in Dallas, the league presented a tribute film and observed a minute of remembrance before the national anthem. Both coaches spoke about West's passing before the game.
Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics' head coach, claimed one of the "most impactful phone calls" he ever heard came from West while he was in college. On Wednesday afternoon, Charles Barkley and former Warriors general manager Bob Myers also paid tribute to West during their respective pregame broadcasts.
Watch here the video:
The Mavericks and Celtics honor the life and memory of Jerry West with a moment of silence. pic.twitter.com/rQXETfAn5Z
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 13, 2024
Personal achievement of Jerry West
Jerry West, who inspired the NBA logo, was one of the league's most well-known players for decades. He achieved nine titles as a player, scout, coach, executive, and consultant. As a player, he reached the NBA Finals nine times, losing six times to Bill Russell's Boston Celtics, and he was chosen Finals MVP in 1969 while playing for the losing club. West, who played his whole career for the Los Angeles Lakers, was among the league's first 25,000-point scorers. Over his career, he averaged 27 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.8 rebounds.
He helped construct the "Showtime" Lakers in the 1980s, signing Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant before departing the team in 2000. West also ran the Memphis Grizzlies and served on the executive boards of the Golden State Warriors (where he helped manage two more championships before departing in 2017) and the Los Angeles Clippers.
West was elected into the Hall of Fame twice: first as a player in 1980, and then as a member of the gold medal-winning 1960 U.S. Olympic squad in 2010. He will be re-inducted as a contributor this fall. West also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019.