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Lakers Will Honor Jerry West With Special Jersey Patch This Season

The Lakers legend died at age 86 in June.

Madison Williams

Jerry West is honored during the NBA 75th Anniversary Team celebration in 2022.
Jerry West is honored during the NBA 75th Anniversary Team celebration in 2022. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
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NBA legend Jerry West died at age 86 in June, and the Los Angeles Lakers announced on Tuesday how the franchise plans to honor his legacy this season.

All Lakers players will sport a patch on their jerseys with West's No. 44 on their left shoulder. His number was retired by the Lakers franchise in 1983.

The Lakers also announced that there will be a Jerry West ceremony on opening night on Oct. 22. This will include a No. 44 West jersey giveaway.

West played all 14 seasons of his NBA career with the Lakers from 1960–74. He won one championship with the team and was a 14-time All-Star. He then coached the Lakers from 1976–79.

West's legacy in the NBA transcends past just the Lakers franchise. West's famous nickname is "The Logo" because the league used his image to create their iconic logo, still in use today.

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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.

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