Jerry West

Jerry West: biography

Jerry West is a basketball legend and a multiple prize winner. West’s executive accomplishments are equally impressive: he has made his teams the NBA champions eight times.

Childhood and youth

Jerome was born on May 28, 1938, in West Virginia. He was the youngest but one child in the family; there were six kids there. Jerry’s early life was challenging because of the abusive dad; later, the childhood experiences caused depression.

West himself was violent until his elder brother’s death; he became silent and physically weak so that doctors prohibited him from sports activities. At some point, the teenager discovered an interest in basketball and spent all his spare time playing.

The would-be athlete attended East Bank High School. Although he was not successful at first due to his height, West improved his defense skills, grew up, and led the school team to the state tournament in a while.

College basketball career

In 1956, the sportsman enrolled at West Virginia University. He started showing impressive results: his college stats improved from freshman average 17.8 to 29.3 points per match by the end of the studies. West could boast 12 college records and 2309 total points; he also helped the national team win the 1960 Summer Olympics.

Professional basketball career

In 1960, West was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers, which moved soon and got a new name, the Los Angeles Lakers. The athlete took the number 44 jersey and earned much fame with it.

It is hardly possible to overestimate the sportsman’s achievements. His career points reached 31.3 in 1966, which was, probably, his best season, yet West was no less amazing in following years: the man was the NBA scoring champion in 1970, and 1972 brought the NBA champion title. Besides, he participated in 14 NBA All-Star games in a row and had ten All-NBA First Team honors.

Jerry was among the most famous basketball stars; cards and magazines with his photos were sold quickly. The modern NBA logo is actually the athlete’s silhouette.

When West retired, he found himself in coaching and executive work for the Los Angeles Lakers: the team won six NBA Champion titles thanks to his contribution. Jerome also collaborated with the Memphis Grizzlies and made the Golden State Warriors the award winner in 2015.

Personal life

Jerome spent 16 years with his first wife, Martha Jane Kane, and had three sons with her: David, Mark, and Michael. The divorce took place in 1976. Two years later, West married Karen: They have two sons: Ryan and Jonnie. The latter followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the West Virginia Mountaineers as a college student.

Present days

In 2019, Donald Trump awarded Jerry West the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Today, the man continues to follow NBA events and comment on them; he has been an executive in the Los Angeles Clippers since 2017.

Jerry West’s net worth is $55 million in 2020.

Head coaching record

• 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2015, 2017 - NBA champion
• 1995, 2004 - NBA Executive of the Year
• 2011 – the Golden State Warriors executive
• 2017 – the Los Angeles Clippers executive

Awards and achievements

• 1959 - Pan American Games – gold medal
• 1959, 1960 - SoCon Player of the Year
• 1960 - Olympic Games – gold medal
• 1961-1974 - NBA All-Star
• 1962-1967, 1970-1973 - All-NBA First Team
• 1969 - NBA Finals MVP
• 1970 - NBA scoring champion
• 1972 – NBA champion
• 1972 - NBA assists leader
• 2019 - Presidential Medal of Freedom