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[Saba Sports News] The Los Angeles Clippers announced that West passed away peacefully on Wednesday morning, with his wife Karen by his side.
West was a pivotal figure in NBA history, playing for the Lakers for 14 seasons from 1960-1974 and leading the team to an NBA title in 1972. He was also named NBA Finals MVP in 1969 despite the Lakers losing to the Bill Russell-led Celtics. West was an All-Star every season of his career and made All-NBA First Team 10 times.
After retiring, West coached the Lakers, leading them to the playoffs three straight years before becoming a scout. As general manager from 1982, he assembled the “Showtime” roster that won five championships. West, named NBA Executive of the Year in 1994, traded for Kobe Bryant and signed Shaquille O’Neal, leading to three consecutive titles from 2000-2002.
West also served as GM of the Memphis Grizzlies, winning his second Executive of the Year Award in 2004, and joined the Golden State Warriors’ front office in 2011, contributing to two more championships in 2015 and 2017. Overall, he was involved in nine NBA titles as a player and executive.
Known as “the Logo” due to his silhouette on the NBA logo, West was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 2010 and as a contributor earlier this year. Recently, he was an executive board member and consultant with the Clippers.