Lakers News: Recounting Jerry West’s Sad, Bitter Los Angeles Split

The Logo brought seven championships to the franchise as a player, scout and general manager.

Apr 9, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Statues of Los Angeles Lakers former guard Jerry West (44) and center Shaquille O'Neal (34) outside of the Staples Center during a NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

When 14-time Los Angeles Lakers All-Star combo guard Jerry West sadly passed away earlier this month, the NBA lifer did on bad terms with the franchise where he spent most of his professional career, as Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times observes.

A rare three-time Hall of Famer (once for his playing career, once for his time as a front office executive, and once for his presence on the legendary 1960 US Olympic team), the 6-foot-3 West Virginia product was drafted with the No. 2 overall pick by the Lakers in 1960. The team moved from Minnesota to Los Angeles before he could play a single game in Minneapolis.

West quickly became one of the league's best two-way players, leading the Purple and Gold to nine NBA Finals appearances all told, and winning one title in 1972. Upon retiring, he tried his hand first at coaching the Lakers, where he posted a 145-101 overall record, leading L.A. as far as the Conference Finals in 1977. He eventually stepped down as a head coach and turned to scouting, ultimately taking over as the Lakers' general manager in 1982-83. During his front office roles with L.A. (including his scouting days), he helped guide the club to six titles all told, spanning from 1980-2000. He helped set up two different dynasties, the "Showtime" era Lakers led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and James Worthy, and the "Shaqobe" lineup piloted by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. Under the supervision of West's replacement GM, Mitch Kupchak, the O'Neal/Bryant incarnation would win two additional titles and then undergo a drastic reconstruction to win two more with Pau Gasol in as Bryan'ts Hall of Fame big man running mate).

Following a bitter conflict with the head coach he hired, Phil Jackson, to take Bryant and O'Neal to the next level in 1999-2000 (he did), West quit the club in 2000. Things would stay relatively icy until his passing, though he did receive a statue in front of the then-Staples Center in 2011.

West went on to serve as the general manager for the Memphis Grizzlies, and later as a consultant for the Golden State Warriors (with whom he'd win yet another title) and L.A. Clippers.

When Rob Pelinka and Magic Johnson took over to lead the Lakers' front office, West apparently had hoped to join them in 2017 as he was preparing to ditch Golden State. But no offer was tendered, per Plaschke.

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