Tuesday, the Los Angeles Lakers announced they will honor West Virginia and Laker legend, the late Jerry West, with a commemorative uniform band displaying his iconic No. 44
West played his whole career with the Lakers, 14 seasons, during which time he was named an All-Star. He went to nine NBA finals as a player, finally winning a championship in 1972. He was awarded Finals MVP honors in 1969, averaging 37.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game in a series against the Boston Celtics, the only player to ever win the award as a member of the losing team. Los Angeles retired his number in 1983.
A native of West Virginia, West is widely regarded as one of the greatest Mountaineers ever. WVU retired his number in 2005 and the Mountaineers are also honoring West with a commemorative patch across all their varsity sports.
As a general manager, West built rosters that led the Lakers to six NBA championships. At the height of the Los Angeles franchise, he was named NBA Executive of the Year in 1995.
West passed away peacefully at the age of 86 on June 12 of this year, which was met with countless surrounding the game of basketball and West Virginia mourning the loss of such an influential presence. However, West’s legacy lives and will be commemorated on both the Lakers and Mountaineers’ jerseys/uniforms.
