"Los Angeles has not won the championship, but Jerry West is a champion."-Bill Russell (1969), via ESPN. In Game 1, which Boston easily won, defensive Celtics guard K. C. Jones kept West to only 26 points, and in Game 2, West scored 45 points, but Boston still won 129123. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [60], Those championship-winning Lakers were coached by Pat Riley, and featured superstar players Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy. Hoophall Awards His mother lashed him when he showed up hours late for dinner and he became so thin that he had to receive vitamin injections.But the practice paid off. [12][63] Jonnie played guard for West's college team, the West Virginia Mountaineers and married professional golfer Michelle Wie in 2019. On May 20, 2011, West was hired by the Warriors as one of the teams executive members, where he assisted the team in basketball and non-basketball related decisions. The team made the NBA Finals but lost to the Celtics. [88][89], West is portrayed in the 2022 HBO docudrama series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty as a temperamental, foul-mouthed executive prone to angry outbursts and mood swings. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Wilt lost in the NBA Finals 4 times - twice each to the Celtics and Knicks. Chamberlain inbounded the ball to West, who raced past Walt Frazier and threw up a 60-foot shot. Over the next summer he grew six more inches. Jerry West Historical Marker After serving in that post for more than six years, West was hired by the LA Clippers as a consultant in 2017. Marcus Sasser. Throughout the games history, it would be hard to find a better pure shooter. Inside) scoring nearly 35 ppg and West (Mr. Under his reign, Los Angeles won six championship rings. 5 players who have lost the most NBA championships feat. Jerry West West spent days shooting baskets from every possible angle, ignoring mud and snow in the backyard, as well as his mother's whippings when he came home hours late for dinner. He said that, while LA failed to attain the Larry O'Brien trophy, the historians would forever remember West as one of the greatest players ever to take the floor. [15] These performances earned him a multitude of honors, among them an All-American Third Team call-up, First Team All-Southern Conference, Southern Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player Award and First Team honors, Chuck TaylorConverse Second-team All-American honors, and Associated Press and United Press International Third-team All-American honors. In 2019 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Although West enjoyed great individual success during his prime, the teams record is a study in frustration unbelievable frustration is how West described it to the Los Angeles Times Magazine. 1969 NBA Finals - Wikipedia No one was affected more by those defeats than West. [26] The Celtics tied the series in Game 6 at three games apiece, and the teams headed to Boston for Game 7. [32] In Game 3, West scored 49points, and L.A. finally won a game, but in Games 4 and 5, the Lakers were beaten by double digits; in the last quarter of Game 5, West missed 14 of 15 shots and could not prevent yet another Celtics win. Jerry made back-to-back Finals against the Boston Celtics in 1962 and 1963, followed by another two consecutive Finals defeats at the hands of the Celtics in 1965 and 1966. What Years Did Jerry West Go To The Finals? If I could have one wish granted, it would be that you would always be happy. They're all that way on the Celtics, and you can't teach it. He scored 19 points in the second half, leading WVU to an upset victory. [50] After winning Game 4 due to a superb outing from Wilt Chamberlain, West scored 23 points and dished out 9 assists in Game 5, helping the Lakers to win the game and the NBA championship. Watch on Jerome Allen West (born May 28, 1938) [3] [4] is an American basketball executive and former player. But I could've, and I knew I could've. [23], The Lakers won 54 regular-season games and secured a first-round bye in the 1962 NBA Playoffs. He was selected to play in 14 All-Star games. [15] Among retired players, only Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain surpass his 27.0 points per game average. Three of the Finals went seven games, with the Lakers losing two of those Game 7s to the Celtics by a single basket. American basketball player, coach, and manager. [50][51] West conceded that he had played a terrible series, and credited the team for the success. Years after a game in which he hit 16 of 17 shots from the field, sank all 12 free throw attempts, and notched 12 rebounds, 12 assists and 10 blocked shots, West told the National Sports Daily, Defensively, from a team standpoint, I didnt feel I played very well. It was a beautiful thing wasted, West later said. Jerry West Jerry Alan West (Mr. [5] West was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history in 1996, and to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.[6][7]. [11] West soon became the captain of the freshman team, and during the summer of 1953 he grew to 6ft 0in (1.83m). Corrections? He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The West Virginia Mountaineers alum amassed stats and . After 20 Years as a Laker! [12], In his final collegiate season (195960) West enjoyed several career highs, such as scoring 29.3points per game, a 134 season-assists, 16.5rebounds per game, and a shooting average of 50.4% from the field, 76.6% from the free throw line. [71], West was an all-around combo guard who could take the playmaking roles of a point guard and score like a shooting guard, while being equally strong on offense and defense. Please disable your ad blocker to view the video content. [22], Initially, West felt odd in his new environment. Clutch", for his ability to make a big play in a key situation such as his famous buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks; "Mr. Outside", in reference to his perimeter play with the Los Angeles Lakers and "Zeke from Cabin Creek" for the creek near his birthplace of Chelyan, West Virginia. In games, his Lakers teams were 22-33 in the NBA Finals. West helped to build the great 1980s Lakers dynasty, also known as Showtime, which brought five championship rings (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988) to Los Angeles. However, he made the Second Team of the inaugural All-Defensive Team. Shaver emphasized the importance of conditioning and defense, which were lessons that the teenager appreciated. He would sit by himself and stare into space. Jerry West was on the fast track to stardom from the day he touched a basketball. The book has had tremendous critical acclaim and became an instant New York Times bestseller. The Los Angeles Lakers dynasty of the 1980s sparks thoughts of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy. West returned, however, and helped make history. During has remaining 13 seasons, the Lakers missed the Finals only four times. [27], In the following 196364 NBA season, West became the Lakers' scoring leader for the first time. West was motivated by a relentless drive to succeed. It worked. Winning Time: Why Jerry West Isn't Happy After Winning The Championship This display of arrogance motivated the Celtics and angered West. Beauchamp paced Milwaukee with 20 points and 6 rebounds. I think I should make every shot.. Despite the Lakers failure to win more titles, most of Wests legendary exploits came during the postseason. When you feel that you're deceived you don't want any part of the organization that deceived you. His high-pitched voice earned him the nickname "Tweety Bird", and he spoke with such a thick Appalachian accent that his teammates also referred to him as "Zeke from Cabin Creek" (his nickname acknowledged his country roots, and his accent was so thick that he squeaked his nickname sheepishly "Zeek from Cab'n Creek"). West was named Most Outstanding Player of that year's Final Four. Many players have been tagged with the nickname Mr. [20] In March 2008, ESPN voted West the third greatest shooting guard of all time. Jerry West willing to take 'Winning Time' to Supreme Court - Los Now 36 years old, the veteran guard averaged 20.3points, 3.7rebounds and 6.6assists per game. Every athlete says that. Including playoff games, the Lakers record for the year was 81-16. West was named the NBA Executive of the Year for 1995 after the Lakers posted their best record in four seasons. He averaged 27.0 points, 6.7 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 steals in 932 regular-season games. After two years away from basketball, West became the Lakers coach before the 1976-77 season. [8], In the summer of 2000, the city of Morgantown, West Virginia, and West Virginia Governor Cecil Underwood, dedicated the road outside of the West Virginia University Coliseum, "Jerry West Boulevard". Prior to the 1971-72 season, the 33-year-old West was considering retirement. He did not meet with much success in the NBA Finals, however. West holds the NBA record for the highest points per game average in a playoff series with 46.3. . He was an All-Star every year of his career and led Los Angeles to the NBA Finals nine times. ESPN.com: The also-ran was a champion Moreover, during that final year, he had 30 double-doubles and fifteen 30-point games. For most of the game, the Lakers trailed, but West and Frank Selvy hit several clutch baskets and tied the game at 100. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. [62] However, he laid down the foundation of the Lakers three-peat, which saw L.A. win three NBA titles from 2000-2002. Lakers win series 4-1 [3] Game-by-game summary Game 1 April 26 Recap The Forum Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Powers, Rush Willis Reed was out with a knee injury, but his replacement, Jerry Lucas, scored 26 points on 13 of 21 shooting to lead the Knicks to the win in the series opener. The team was powered by Sharman's emphasis on tough defense and fast break offense, and L.A. embarked on an unprecedented 33 game win streak, en route to a then-record 69 wins in the regular season. He lost his first six NBA Finals to the Celtics and then two more to the NY Knicks. The 1972-73 Lakers lost to the Knicks in The Finals while in 1973-74, a pulled groin limited West to 31 regular-season contests and only one playoff game. He practiced shooting until his fingers bled. [33], The 196667 NBA season saw West playing only 66 regular-season games due to injury;[22] his averages fell slightly to 28.0points, 5.9rebounds and 6.8assists per game. The tragedy turned young Jerry inward, forcing him to develop his own coping mechanisms. West's mid-range jump shot became his trademark and he often used it to score while under pressure from opposing defenses. [15] The Lakers won 60 games and reached the 1973 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. [23] Baylor once commented: "Rumors are safe with you, Tweety Bird. Wilt Chamberlain Championships: 2 Great Victories But Still Not Enough I write about games, players and seasons from the past. Wilt Chamberlain won two championships in his 14 year NBA career. After losing Elgin Baylor to an Achilles tendon rupture that effectively ended his career, West himself injured his knee and was out for the season; the short-handed Lakers lost the Western Conference finals in five games to the championship-bound Milwaukee Bucks, who were led by freshly-crowned Most Valuable Player Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and veteran Hall-of-Fame guard Oscar Robertson.
What Does The Kaiser Family Foundation Do, Cypress College Softball Roster, North Hill Community Umd, Piedmont Library Card, Articles J