Jerry West deserved more from the Lakers. Team should have repaired their rift years ago.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ four-sentence statement on the death of Jerry West could’ve been less perfunctory, more heartfelt – more like the warm remembrance Miami Heat president and former Lakers coach Pat Riley offered in a lovely statement.
West deserved more from the Lakers, and that day may come. It’s just not happening now for West, who was one of the franchise’s six greatest players, led the team to a title as a player, was responsible for four more titles as the team’s general manager and is one of the most influential executives in sports history.
This is less about the statement itself (it’s almost certain the Lakers deferred to family wishes) than what the statement reflects: The relationship between West and the Lakers, the team he played for and worked for from 1960 to 2000, had deteriorated.
“One disappointing thing (about my career) is that my relationship with the Lakers is horrible,” West told The Athletic two years ago. “I still don’t know why. And at the end of the day, when I look back, I say, ‘Well, maybe I should have played somewhere else instead of with the Lakers, where someone would have at least appreciated how much you give, how much you cared.’ ”
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, whose late father, Jerry, owned the Lakers and had a close relationship with West, posted a more heartfelt message on social media that helped mitigate the statement by the team.
“I know that if my father were here, he would say that Jerry West was at the heart of all that made the Lakers great,” she wrote. “He was an icon to all – but he was also a hero to our family. We all send our sympathies to Karen (West’s wife) and the West family.”
But for the storied franchise with so much success and great relationships with players, the West dynamic is problematic.
Relationships crumble and are never rebuilt. That’s part of life, but it’s sad that the West-Lakers relationship suffered. All statements about West’s death came from the Los Angeles Clippers, where he spent the past seven years as an advisor.
West wasn't 100% innocent, and the pettiness flowed in both directions. West was pushed aside by Phil Jackson in the early 2000s, and he wasn’t welcomed back in the 2010s when he indicated he wanted to finish his career with the franchise in some capacity. West had inflammatory words about the Lakers, taking digs at staffers and their player-personnel moves.
The Lakers rescinded West’s free season tickets. They claimed they just wanted to know which games he planned to attend but West didn’t see it that way. The Lakers also parted ways with West’s son, Ryan, in 2019, and when owner Jeanie Buss didn’t name West as one of the five most important Lakers of all time, West was offended, telling people he wanted the Lakers to take down his jersey from the rafters and remove his statue from outside the arena.
Asked in the 2021 interview with The Athletic if reconciliation was possible, West replied, “No, it’s too late. It’s too late. I don’t need to do that, OK?”
It didn’t have to be that way with so many Lakers greats connected to West, Buss and the franchise. It won’t be a surprise if the Lakers at some point celebrate West’s life and legacy.
Until that day, here’s Riley:
“I loved Jerry West! We loved being Lakers together; it was sacred ground. We grew in life with each other and shared the best and worst of times together. We can only hope there is someone we meet during a crucial time in our lives that will change you in ways you could dream about. Jerry was that person for me. …
“It was like yesterday after a shootaround at The Forum that we’d hustle to Hollis Johnson’s drugstore in Westwood to eat the best burgers, drink milkshakes and savor a great custard pudding with fresh whipped cream before we headed home to nap. …
"He was smart, committed, opinionated, fearless, generous, ultra-competitive, stubborn, but with great grace. These were just some of the characteristics he embedded in my psyche. They emerged at the right time, honed by many years of self-talking Jerry reminders. ...
“Chris (Riley’s wife) and I pray the Good Lord will look after Karen and his family during this most difficult time. May peace be with them. And Jerry, one day, my good friend, we will meet again. Just save me a burger, milkshake and custard with whipped cream. The best lunch I ever had. Until then, Rest in Peace.”