Jerry West’s “Very Sad” Warriors Departure: How Did NBA Legend Build a Dynasty for Stephen Curry

The silhouette of the NBA logo, Mr. Jerry West has peacefully passed away in his home at the age of 86. The scintillating basketball patriarch was much more than an immortal legend. As a trailblazing guard, he was the first player ever to be named Finals MVP when his team had lost. After a glorious career with the Lakers, where he was an All-Star every season, his geniuses translated to his role as an executive. Twice he was named the best Executive in NBA history. His most notable roles first came with him laying the bricks for ‘Showtime’ to be born in the 1980s, forming the indomitable tandem of Shaq-Kobe and lastly setting the stones for the Golden State Warriors dynasty.

When he joined the Bay as an advisor, no one expected him to bring about an absurd change since he wasn’t given any decision-making powers. The franchise looked to leverage his scouting and team-building ability to improve the state of the roster. In his first move, he pushed them to draft Klay Thompson, eventually becoming the championship backcourt besides Stephen Curry. West also prevented them from trading the sharpshooter. Yet the move that really propelled his status as a basketball intellect further was when he made the call to Kevin Durant in 2017.

Fresh off the 2016 historic upset in the NBA Finals to LeBron James, the Bay needed another star to rescue them. Enter Kevin Durant, who had spent nine seasons at the top of the food chain but not won a championship. West approached KD during the offseason. On the call, his words reached the deepest sentiments of the Slim Reaper. The meteoric rise in the salary cap that season paved the way for the Warriors to lure Durant.

Criticism came at large, and so did roaring success. The Golden State Warriors won back-to-back titles in the three seasons Durant played for the Bay. In 2017, West had an inner calling to return back to the City of Angels and join the Los Angeles Clippers. However, it wasn’t because he wanted to part ways with the Bay. He felt his role was still incomplete.

“Frankly it was very sad, OK? It really was. A place where I thought that if I was going to work another year or if somebody wanted me to work another year, I thought I could contribute; I did not want to leave. I did not want to leave. I was very happy there”, he revealed during his press conference for the Clippers according to Bleacher Report.

Even though he left the Warriors before his wish, Jerry West had left an indelible mark on the franchise. His reluctance to trade for Klay Thompson eventually landed them a fourth championship in 2022, fueled by the brilliance and elegance of Stephen Curry. In every role Mr. West accepted, he left a path of rich success for the club. Even with the Clippers, he was instrumental in the signing of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the same offseason.

The remarkable legacy of Jerry West

No one had dropped into the NBA and began action immediately as a superstar. Jerry West was one of the rare ones. As an All-Star in all his seasons, he led the Lakers to nine NBA Finals. Six times he lost to Bill Russell and the Celtics, the richest dynasty in the history of the NBA. In that era, getting one and forcing the Celtics to their limits was a commendable feat.

However, his abilities ballooned as an executive. West had this unrivaled ability to understand eras, and the various themes and construct the best rosters for the same. In his second chapter, he won eight championships. West also became the first player in NBA history to be enshrined into the Naismith Hall of Fame both as a player and an executive.

There will never be another human like Jerry West. The great man came when the NBA was nothing and left by boosting it to the very top. Jerry West will forever live on and be attached to the NBA as it’s rightful ‘Logo’. A master of all arts, West personified what it means to be great in every dimension of the game, literally.