Jerry West

Jerry Alan West (May 28, 1938 – June 12, 2024) was an American basketball player and executive who spent his entire playing career as a guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. Born in Chelyan, West Virginia, he played college basketball for the West Virginia Mountaineers, leading them to the 1959 NCAA championship game and earning Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors despite the loss. In 1960 he served as co-captain of the United States Olympic team that won the gold medal. West then began a 14-year career with the Lakers.

He was known by several nicknames. "Mr. Clutch" reflected his ability to make a decisive play in a key moment, including a buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. "Mr. Outside" referred to his perimeter play, and "Zeke from Cabin Creek" came from the creek near his West Virginia birthplace. He was also called "the Logo," as his silhouette became the basis for the NBA logo.

The 1960 U.S. Olympic team on which West served as co-captain was inducted as a unit into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. West died on June 12, 2024, at the age of 86.