Los Angeles Lakers all-time great Jerry West passed away on Wednesday morning at the age of 86. The Los Angeles Dodgers held a moment of silence to honor his life prior to their game against the Texas Rangers.
West spent the entirety of his 14-year NBA career with the Lakers, earning 12 All-NBA selections and being named an All-Star each year. He’s known as the inspiration for the iconic NBA logo, and in Southern California for leading the Lakers to their first championship in Los Angeles during the 1971-1972 season.
“I met Jerry West at the Madison Club in Palm Desert, and I was really shocked,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recalled. “This is years ago, that he knew who I was. And he was a gentleman, and I sat with him and his family at breakfast, his son, David, his daughter-in-law, Michelle Wie was there, and we just kind of sat and talked baseball, talked basketball.
“We lost a great one.”
Roberts is in his ninth season as manager of the Dodgers, having seen his fair share of big wins and incredibly tough losses. The agony of defeat is something he shares with how West felt during much of his career.
“I think baseball, I guess somewhat in line with basketball, but it’s still twice as long as a basketball season,” Roberts said. “As a coach, as a manager, I mean, I hate losing.
“I just think we want the players to feel it, but not too much. In baseball, you’ve got to turn the page a lot, and so you just don’t want things to carry over to the next day. But there’s always that question, do you like winning more or do you dislike losing more?
“So I hate losing, but I do love winning.”
Roberts’ track record with the Dodgers and history of winning was crowned in 2020 with a World Series title, still a long ways away from West and his overall five NBA championships.
West was pivotal in laying the foundation for the Lakers’ three-peat title run from 2000-2002 when signing Shaquille O’Neal and trading for Kobe Bryant. Those memories encapsulated an entire generation of Lakers fans.
Dodgers honor Jerry West
After news broke of West’s passing, the Dodgers released a statement, mourning the loss of the Los Angeles icon.
“The Dodgers mourn the passing of NBA Hall of Famer and Lakers legend Jerry West, an indelible figure on the Los Angeles sports landscape for more than 60 years. We send our most sincere condolences to his family and friends,” the Dodgers said.
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