Jerry West was born in 1938 in Chelyan, West Virginia, as the fifth of six children to Cecil and Howard West. West, who was outgoing as a child, became timid and introverted after the death of his older brother David in the Korean War. He attended East Bank High School from 1952 to 1956, where he played basketball for coach Duke Shaver. West quickly rose to the position of freshman team captain and started small forward. He was named All-State from 1953 to 1956, and All-American the following year. West led his high school to a state championship in 1956.
Personal Life
West married his college sweetheart, Martha Jane Kane, in 1960. They divorced in 1976 after having three sons, David, Mark, and Michael. West married his current wife, Karen, two years later, and they have two sons, Ryan and Jonnie.
Career
West attracted the attention of over 60 universities before deciding to attend West Virginia University in his home state. During his freshman year, he was a member of a team that had a perfect record of 17 wins and no losses. In his junior year, he tied the NCAA five-game tournament record with 160 points and was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. During his senior year, West set several career highs, including 29.3 points per game and 134 assists. He finished his collegiate career with a total of 2,309 points and 1,240 rebounds.
The Minneapolis Lakers selected West with the second overall pick in 1960, just before the team relocated to Los Angeles. West was an almost instant success, helping the Lakers improve their season and reach the 1961 NBA Playoffs. The following season, he established himself as the Lakers’ primary scorer, averaging 30.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game and earning All-NBA First Team honours. The Lakers advanced to the playoffs, and then to the finals, where they were defeated by the Boston Celtics at the beginning of one of the NBA’s greatest rivalries.
West was named an NBA All-Star and All-NBA First Team selection again in 1962-63. The Lakers faced the Celtics in the finals once more, with the same results as the previous year. The following season, the team struggled, winning only 42 games and losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Hawks. The NBA’s iconic logo features a silhouette of Jerry West. The logo on the chairs in the background of Jerry’s photo below is the famous logo based on his silhouette:
West set an NBA record with 46.3 points per game in the 1965 playoffs. Nonetheless, the Lakers were defeated in the finals by the Celtics. The following season, West averaged a career-high 31.3 points and set an NBA record with 840 free throws, earning him additional All-Star Team and All-NBA First Team nominations. The Lakers were defeated by the Celtics in the finals for the second time. Following a disappointing 1966-67 season and another finals loss to the Celtics in 1968, the Lakers hired Philadelphia 76ers reigning NBA MVP Wilt Chamberlain. The team battled hard to reach the sixth finals series in eight years against the Celtics. Despite West’s triple-double performance of 42 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists, the Lakers fell short.
In 1969-70, West had one of his best seasons, leading the NBA in scoring average and earning his first of four All-Defensive First Team selections. West’s buzzer-beating 60-foot shot in the first NBA Finals between the Lakers and the New York Knicks became one of the most famous moments in NBA history. However, the Lakers were defeated in an upset by the New York Knicks. Greater success came in the 1971-72 season when West and the Lakers set a record with a 33-game win streak en route to 69 regular-season wins. As a result, West was named an All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defense First Teamer, as well as the 1972 All-Star Game MVP.
The following season, West and the Lakers finally won the NBA championship, defeating the Knicks; it was West’s first NBA title. In 1973-74, West played his final season, winning 47 games and losing five to the Bucks. Following this, he resigned due to contract disagreements. West had scored more points than any other player in Lakers history at the time of his departure.
For the 1976-77 season, West was named head coach of the Lakers. During his three years as coach, he led the Lakers to a 145-101 record, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 1977. Following his coaching tenure, West worked as a scout for three years before becoming the Lakers’ general manager. In the latter role, he was instrumental in the Lakers winning five championships in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988.
West was named general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies in 2002, and he helped the team earn its first-ever playoff berth. West was named NBA Executive of the Year twice for his work with both the Lakers and the Grizzlies. West later joined the Golden State Warriors as an executive board member after retiring as general manager. He joined the Los Angeles Clippers’ executive board in 2017.
Net Worth
Jerry West is a $50 million dollar net-worth retired American basketball player. Jerry spent his entire NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was named to the All-NBA First and Second Teams 12 times as a guard, and he appeared in nine NBA Finals. After retiring, West became the Lakers’ head coach for three years before becoming general manager. West was named one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in 1996, and he was a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal team in Rome.
Facts
| Net Worth | $50 Million |
| Date of Birth | May 28, 1938 (84 years old) |
| Place of Birth | Chelyan, West Virginia |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Profession | Basketball player, Basketball Coach |
| Nationality | United States of America |
