Jerry West has contributed to the Los Angeles Lakers’ greatness as an NBA franchise for nearly 40 years. However, in a recent interview, West revealed his disappointment on the fact that the franchise has not shown due appreciation for his efforts as a player, coach, and member of the front office.
(via thescore.com)
“One disappointing thing (about my career) is that my relationship with the Lakers is horrible,” West told The Athletic’s Sam Amick. “I still don’t know why. And at the end of the day, when I look back, I say, ‘Well, maybe I should have played somewhere else instead of with the Lakers, where someone would have at least appreciated how much you give, how much you cared.’”
West was an FO executive until 2000 helping his team to build the team that eventually won three consecutive titles from 2000 to 2003. He spent five years (2002-2007) as a General Manager for the Memphis Grizzlies, leading the team to its first playoff appearance. He then served as a special advisor for the Golden State Warriors until 2017. Since 2017, West is an executive board member of the Los Angeles Clippers.
West, 83, saw his number retired by the Lakers back in 1983, and he received a statue outside Staples Arena in 2011. However, the now Clippers executive advisor paints his relationship with the Lakers as nonexistent. More specifically, he described how the LA Lakers revoked his lifetime season tickets previously promised to them by the late longtime owner Dr. Jerry Buss.
“It was a cold phone text to my wife,” West said. “No one had the nerve to call me, but that’s how petty they are, OK?
And I love the Lakers, OK? … I’m proud of everything that happened when I was there. I’m proud of everything that happened when I wasn’t there – the positives. But sometimes you feel like you’re discarded, like a piece of trash.”
