At the age of 86, Jerry West, the man whose silhouette still serves as the NBA‘s logo, has passed away. West was a 3X Hall of Famer and the only player to ever win NBA Finals MVP on a losing team. He’s also 1 of 7 players with scoring & assist titles. Of those 7, he & LeBron are the only ones to make an All-Defensive 1st team. West’s many contributions have thus been known far and wide, etching a forever void in the community.

“‘Jerry West was a basketball genius and a defining figure in our league for more than 60 years,’” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “On behalf of the NBA, we send our deepest condolences to Jerry’s wife, Karen, his family and his many friends in the NBA community.” Apart from his hooping abilities, West was known as a scout, as a manager, and as an executive. And his children too have taken up these roles very efficiently.

Jerry West family

In April 1960, West married his college sweetheart, Martha Jane Kane. While the couple ultimately divorced in 1976, they had three sons together, including David, Mark, and Michael. West’s oldest son, David, was named after his brother, who West called his “hero,” and who died in combat during the Korean War. Little is known about his three sons from his first marriage, as they prefer to live their lives out of the public eye.

Later, on his 40th birthday in 1978, West married for the second and final time. On the 28th of May, 1978, West tied the knot with his now-widowed wife, Kristine “Karen” Bua. Jerry and Karen fell in love despite the significant age disparity that existed between them. Karen is 15 years younger than Jerry and was employed by the Los Angeles Unified School District as an assistant teacher at one of its campuses. In addition to that, she had a position at the office of the State Controller in California.

They welcomed two sons together, including Ryan and Jonnie. Both their sons have taken up roles that Jerry loved.

Jerry West’s legacy lives on

His sons Jonnie and Ryan seem to be the only ones venturing into sports. Jonnie attended West Virginia University, where he majored in sports management and played basketball for four years. He played collegiate basketball for four years at West Virginia University. He made four NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Final Four in 2010.

In 2012, he received his bachelor’s degree, and an MBA in business administration, and began working for former sports agent Arn Tellem at Wasserman Media Group. The same year, Jonnie was appointed as the director of basketball operations and advance scout for the Golden State Warriors’ G-League team in Santa Cruz. A couple of years later, he was hired as the Warriors’ director of player programs. All of his efforts were rewarded in 2018 when he was promoted to director of basketball operations for the team.

Jonnie is now married to Michelle Wie, a professional golfer. Who announced her engagement on Instagram “My person for life!!!!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ #WieGoesWest.” They got married in 2019 and welcomed their daughter, Makenna, a year later.

Ryan, on the other hand, worked for his father as a scout. Jerry didn’t want to give Ryan a job because he preferred that he earn his own ticket. While running the Memphis Grizzlies, Jerry’s good friend Gary Colson encouraged him to try Ryan out as a scout. It was the right decision. Working together to build the lowly Grizzlies into a playoff team bonded Jerry and Ryan even more. Ryan left the Grizzlies after seven years when he was invited to join the Lakers. He received his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Loyola Marymount in 2002.

While many remember  Jerry West as the NBA logo, he preferred otherwise. The NBA hasn’t officially acknowledged the logo, yet the designer has stated many times why West is the logo. The players also know to respect him by calling him that moniker. “I have often thought what would I like for people to think about me ‘he was a good guy and he cared’ that would be it nothing more.” The perceptions of him today might not be too far from the wish.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, had to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.