The game of basketball, the NBA, and the sports community as a whole lost a great man this year.
The legendary Jerry West passed away a couple of months ago.
And while the Los Angeles Lakers are expected to honor him this season, his alma mater, West Virginia, got ahead of them.
As shown by Bleacher Report on X, the Mountaineers are wearing a #44 decal on their helmets to honor one of the greatest shooting guards and basketball minds of all time (via Bleacher Report).
West Virginia is honoring the late Jerry West this season with a #44 helmet decal 🐐🙏
(via @WVUfootball) pic.twitter.com/z0F27qcLHg
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 31, 2024
West is the only player to win NBA Finals MVP despite being on the losing team.
He won one ring as a player and eight more as an executive, and he went down as the unofficial logo silhouette of the league.
West’s influence in the game of basketball goes well beyond his career averages of 27 points per game, his 145–101 coaching record, and his 14 All-Star appearances.
He was responsible for getting Kobe Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers.
He helped the Los Angeles Clippers sign Kawhi Leonard.
Last but not least, while he didn’t draft Stephen Curry, he still helped build the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty.
