The Los Angeles Lakers will honor Jerry West with a jersey patch throughout the entire 2024-25 season.
On Tuesday, the team unveiled a No. 44 band that will sit on the left shoulder of their jerseys this season. West, who played for the Lakers before working as both a coach and executive with the organization, died in June. He was 86.
West, who was the inspiration for the NBA’s logo, was one of the biggest names in the league’s existence. He played 14 seasons for the Lakers, was an All-Star in every season he took the court, and averaged 27 points per game. He helped lead the franchise to a title in 1972, and he was named the NBA Finals MVP in 1969 despite the Lakers losing that series. West made it to the Finals nine times as a player, and he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.
West spent three seasons as the Lakers head coach before he moved into their front office. While there, he built the “Showtime” Lakers that won five championships in the 1980s. He also built the Lakers teams around Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal that won three straight championships from 2000-02.
West also worked in the Memphis Grizzlies front office and worked as a board member with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers. He will be inducted into the Hall of Fame again as a contributor, which makes him the first person to be inducted in both roles. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019, too.
The NBA and the Lakers have honored West in numerous ways since his death. The league held open a commemorative courtside seat for him at the Summer League games in July, and both the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks honored him before Game 3 of the NBA Finals. The Lakers announced Tuesday that they will honor West again with a special jersey giveaway at their season opener in October, too.
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