The Los Angeles Lakers will honor Jerry West with a jersey patch throughout the 2024-25 season.
The Lakers on Tuesday unveiled a No. 44 band that will be placed on the left shoulder of their jerseys this season. West, who played for the Lakers before working as a coach and executive for the organization, was 86.
West was one of the biggest names in league history. He played 14 seasons for the Lakers, was an All-Star in every season he took the court and averaged 27 points per game. He helped lead the franchise to a title in 1972 and was named NBA Finals MVP in 1969 even though the Lakers lost that series. West reached the Finals nine times as a player and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.
West spent three seasons as the Lakers’ head coach before moving into front office. There, he built the “Showtime” Lakers that won five championships in the 1980s. He also built the Lakers teams around Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal that won three consecutive championships from 2000-02.
West also worked in the front office of the Memphis Grizzlies and was a member of the board of directors for the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers. He will be inducted into the Hall of Fame again as a contributor, making him the first person to be inducted in both roles. He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019.
The NBA and the Lakers have honored West in numerous ways since his death. The league honored him at Summer League games in July, and both the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks honored him. The Lakers announced Tuesday that they will also honor West with a special jersey giveaway at their season opener in October.