Jerry West is about to be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for a third time. He is in once for his playing career and once as a member of the 1960 USA Olympic team that won gold. This time, he is going in as a contributor for his work in NBA front offices.
The lineup of Hall of Famers who will present him is a who’s who: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Pat Riley, Pau Gasol and more.
It’s not just West that is racking up stars as presenters. Vince Carter will have “Dr. J” Julius Erving, Michael Cooper will have Laker legends like Magic and James Worthy, Dick Barnett will have Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Doug Collins will have Grant Hill, and the list goes on and on.
West is entering the Hall of Fame as a GM because he won four rings as one of the architects of the Showtime Lakers, was the head man in Memphis and helped build a successful foundation with that team, was a consultant with the Warriors as they built the Stephen Curry era dynasty, then was a consultant with the Clippers during the best run of that franchise’s history. His eye as a talent evaluator was as good as the league has seen.
Having passed away in June — the Lakers will pay tribute to him this season with a patch on their jerseys — it will be a bittersweet day to see him enter the Hall again.