Jerry West gave his life to basketball. While many know him as the primary inspiration for the NBA‘s iconic logo, West was one of the most accomplished individuals in the league’s 78-year existence — excelling as a 27-point-per-game scorer during his playing career before embarking on a career as a respected executive, adding eight championships to his resume with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors.
But West — who died Wednesday at the age of 86 — is best known for being “the logo”, in spite of his nine total championships. It was a distinction that honored him, even if it wasn’t exactly in accordance with his wishes.
West’s stunning admission about the NBA logo he inspired
During an appearance on ESPN‘s “The Jump” several years ago, West revealed his discomfort with being publicly known as the NBA’s logo — which was introduced in 1969, toward the end of his playing career.
“I wish that had never gotten out that I’m the logo,” West said in 2017, when he was still a powerful voice in the Warriors‘ front office. “I’ve said it more than once, and it was flattering that’s me.
“I played in a time when they first started to try to market the league,” he recalled. “There were five people that they were gonna consider. … I don’t like to do anything to call attention to myself.”
In recent years, West hoped that NBA commissioner Adam Silver would sanction a new logo, but the league’s branding has become so well-known that there has been little appetite to change it. With the news of West’s passing, perhaps Silver and the NBA will return to the drawing board at last and work on a new image — in accordance with West’s long-held wishes.