Jerry West, an NBA legend and Los Angeles Lakers star, has passed away at the age of 86. West was born in West Virginia in 1938 and rose to fame as a college basketball star at the University of West Virginia. He was a key player in leading the Mountaineers to the National Championship Game in 1959, earning the Final Four Most Outstanding Player award despite losing in that game.
Drafted No. 2 overall by the Lakers in 1960, West alongside Elgin Baylor became the first great Lakers players after the team’s move to Los Angeles. West was selected to the All-Star Game in all of his 14 NBA seasons and guided the Lakers to the Finals nine times. Despite facing tough competition from the Boston Celtics dynasty, West’s individual excellence earned him Finals MVP honors in 1969 even in defeat.
After retiring as a player, West remained with the Lakers organization, first as a head coach and later as a general manager. He added six more championships in the front office before winning two additional championships in an advisory role with the Golden State Warriors. Most recently, he held a similar position with the Los Angeles Clippers. West’s silhouette was famously used to create the NBA logo.
West’s passing comes shortly after another Los Angeles basketball legend, Bill Walton, passed away on May 27 at the age of 71. CBS Sports will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
