The NBA Summer League tipped off on Friday in Las Vegas (after warmups in San Francisco, Sacramento and Salt Lake City) and one of basketball’s icons was honored before the first matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic.
Basketball lost the legendary Jerry West, the man who inspired the NBA’s logo, one month ago. With the league holding its post-draft showcase event for the summer, his absence from the proceedings was noted and his contributions to the game were honored.
West always held a courtside seat at the Thomas & Mack Center, which the league reserved by draping a t-shirt sporting a photo of West with “The Soul of Summer League” over the chair in tribute. Also placed on the chair was a Dairy Queen cup to commemorate West with a treat that he enjoyed during Summer League (presumably a milkshake).
On the baseline at Thomas & Mack Arena in Las Vegas, the NBA has honored Jerry West at his usual courtside seat – complete with his favorite summer league treat pic.twitter.com/fVyStyZqbp
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 12, 2024
The courtside seat will be held for West with the tribute through the entire Summer League schedule.
Before the first game, a video tribute to West also played in the arena which featured archival footage and photos from his college days at West Virginia, his stint on the 1960 Olympic gold medal team and 14-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and his years as a successful executive for several NBA teams.
Las Vegas Summer League turns out the lights and remembers Jerry West before the start at Thomas & Mack.
They also are leaving his courtside seat open all event. pic.twitter.com/3shY9U7GdQ
— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) July 12, 2024
The video included memories from figures including West himself, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, longtime Lakers coach Pat Riley, former teammates Rod Hundley and Tommy Hawkins, Celtics legends John Havlicek and Sam Jones.
The video was followed by an on-court ceremony to honor West emceed by ESPN broadcaster Mark Jones.
“Jerry West, for all his accolades…was never finished searching. His commitment to getting better at life and to embracing the next horizon is something very much worth remembering and celebrating as we are right now.”
A snippet from the tribute to Jerry West before SL begins pic.twitter.com/9TctzjlwIK
— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) July 12, 2024
“Jerry West, for all his accolades, accomplishments, and becoming larger than even the life he imagined for himself, was never finished searching,” Jones said in tribute. “His commitment to getting better at life and to embracing the next horizon is something very much worth remembering and celebrating, as we are right now.”
West will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in October as a contributor for his accomplishments as an executive, making him the first person to be honored as both a player and contributor. He won eight championships as an executive.
As a player, West won one NBA championship (playing in nine NBA Finals) and is the only player to win Finals MVP as a losing player (in 1969). He was an All-Star in every one of his 14 NBA seasons, won All-NBA First Team honors 10 times and All-Defensive First Team four times. The league named him to their 35th, 50th and 75th anniversary teams.
