Lakers reveal classy gesture to honor Jerry West
Mar 15, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; LA Clippers executive board member Jerry West reacts in the first half against the Chicago Bulls at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers will make to sure keep Jerry West’s memory alive throughout the 2024-25 campaign.
The Lakers announced Tuesday that the team will wear commemorative No. 44 bands on their jerseys for every game in the season.
The team will honor Jerry West with a commemorative No. 44 band on their jerseys this season 💜 pic.twitter.com/S8MZ3WN5DB
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 10, 2024
West died peacefully in his sleep earlier this year. He was 86 years old.
The 14-time All-Star wore No. 44 in nearly a thousand NBA games spanning 14 seasons — all of them for the Lakers.
West’s impact in the NBA extended beyond his playing years. He also became one of the league’s most respected front office executives and helped jumpstart the Golden State Warriors dynasty that ruled the 2010s.
In 2017, West became an advisor for the Los Angeles Clippers, a role he held up until his death.
Over the past decade, West had feuded with the Lakers franchise. In 2013, the Hall of Famer had his lifetime season tickets revoked and was even excommunicated from the Lakers entirely after a reported disagreement with Jeanie Buss. The reasons behind the fractured relationship between Buss and West have only recently come to light.
But the recent beef between West and the Lakers doesn’t overshadow what “The Logo” did for the franchise and the NBA as a whole.
