The basketball world suffered a gigantic loss on Wednesday morning, as the Los Angeles Clippers announced the passing of Hall of Fame inductee . While West was a member of the Clipper front office, he’s most well known for his time as a member of the , where he turned into one of the best players in franchise history before becoming their head coach and, eventually, started his decorated executive career. A immediately after word of his passing, and later in the day on Wednesday, two of the most prominent individuals in NBA and Laker history celebrated West’s life and legacy.
Pat Riley, who was a teammate alongside West on the 1972 NBA Finals team before coaching under him during West’s time as the team’s general manager, released a statement which looked back on their time as teammates, colleagues, and friends. Pat Riley statement on Jerry West: — Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) Magic Johnson, one of the pillars of the “Showtime” Lakers era for which West was the general manager, posted a lengthy tribute to West onto Twitter and shared a number of pictures of the two of them. I met Jerry West for the first time in 1979 at the Forum where he introduced me to Bill Sharman, Chick Hearn, and then Laker owner Jack Kent Cooke.
My father, agent and I negotiated over lunch then Jerry took me to the locker room to show me my Lakers jersey. I started to cry and..
. — Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) I met Jerry West for the first time in 1979 at the Forum where he int.
