“Rest in Paradise My Guy”: LeBron James Leads NBA World in Mourning the Saddening Loss of Jerry West

From the 1960s to the modern era, Jerry West was ever-present. He defined each era of basketball first as a transcending point guard and then as a clever executive. Today, he passed away peacefully in the confines of his own in Los Angeles at the age of 86. A gush of sadness echoed around the NBA. West far surpassed the limits of a Hall of Famer. He was a pioneer for the sport and a man of wisdom and class. Several NBA stars, including LeBron James forwarded their condolences to the icon’s family on this day of sorrow.

Sharing his emotions on X, LeBron James celebrated the decorated and illustrious career of the former Lakers executive. “Will truly miss our convos my dear friend! My thoughts and prayers goes out to your wonderful family! Forever love Jerry! Rest in Paradise my guy! “, he wrote. James wasn’t the only one feeling emotional, however.

Jerry West was a foundational figure in the story of the NBA. He was amongst it’s first superstars when he ran the show for Los Angeles. Despite only winning one title as a player, his impact was undeniable. “Jerry West was basketball genius and a defining figure in our league for more than 60 years. He distinguished himself not only as an NBA champion and an All-Star in all 14 of his playing seasons, but also as a consummate competitor who embraced the biggest moments,” NBA’s commissioner Adam Silver wrote in a tribute to the late legend.

West was in a class of his own. As a scoring point guard, he averaged 27 points for his entire career, ranked 8th all-time. He was honored with a Finals MVP in 1969 in a loss to the Celtics, the first time it had been done in NBA history. “He was relevant to the game of basketball literally from the 60s until he passed away in his sleep last night”, expert analyst Stephen A. Smith summed it up perfectly.

West had touched the lives of many players. As an executive with the Clippers, he shared time understanding the roster and make a conscious effort in making them better. Posting a picture of them together, forward Nicolas Batum also joined the NBA world in mourning West. , the Frenchman wrote. Patrick Beverley also felt the same attaching crying emoticons while seeing his prayers to Jerry West and his family.

No matter how many years pass, the legacy and role of Jerry West will never be forgotten. He was instrumental to bring the NBA to the pedestal it is today from the time he was brimming with the passion to compete to then using his knowledge to construct historic rosters. The ‘Logo’ will live on in the hearts of basketball fans forever.

Jerry West thought the LeBron James vs Michael Jordan debate was ridiculous

The moment one becomes an NBA fan, it’s almost a custom to choose the GOAT. The popular choices are between Michael Jordan and LeBron James. They are basketball alphas, each having honed different skill sets to dominate their eras of basketball. The debate in itself is polarizing. Crowds are often divided and so are the players depending on the era. Jerry West simply thought it was ridiculous.

When he joined Paul George on his podcast in June of last year, the Lakers legend expressed his disdain for the NBA’s intense GOAT debate. “There’s different eras. Different changes. Athletes today, their athletic ability should be better. They should be better shooters and you know they are going to handle the ball and the coaches want to kill half of them from handling the ball. But face it, they are copycats” said West. “I don’t buy into this GOAT stuff, my god. There’s a lot of smelly GOATs around. I know that”.

While he never proclaimed a GOAT, West did defend LeBron James from the sacred rings argument while on the Dan Patrick Show essentially stating that rings don’t matter in such conversations. West is the quintessential example of the same. He might have won just 1 title as a player, but there is no dispute that he is one of the greatest basketball entities to have ever graced the sport. His legend isn’t defined by stats but rather resonated by the very greats who came before and after him. That’s what set him apart from all.