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The Los Angeles Lakers will kick off their season on October 22, paying tribute to basketball legend Jerry West as they face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena
. To recognize West’s immense impact on the team, both as a player and executive over 30 years, the Lakers will don a special No. 44 band on the left shoulder of their uniforms throughout the season.
West, who passed away earlier this summer at the age of 88, will be honored for his storied career. Over 14 seasons with the Lakers, West earned All-Star recognition every year, along with 12 All-NBA and five All-Defensive selections. After the team’s relocation to Los Angeles, West helped secure the Lakers’ first championship in Southern California during their iconic 1971-72 season. In 1979, West was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, marking the first of three Hall of Fame inductions in his name.
Following his retirement from playing, West took on an active role within the Lakers organization, becoming general manager in 1982. He was instrumental in building the championship teams of the 1980s Showtime era and played a crucial role in assembling the “three-peat” squad of the early 2000s, led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. West famously helped bring O’Neal to Los Angeles by convincing him that Bryant, whom West had drafted out of high school, would be his long-term teammate—a prediction that proved accurate.
West’s influence extended beyond the Lakers. After leaving the team in 2000, he managed the Memphis Grizzlies for five years before retiring from full-time executive duties in 2007. He later consulted for the Golden State Warriors (2011-16) and the Los Angeles Clippers (2017 until his death).
Few figures have had as significant an impact on the Lakers as Jerry West, making the team’s tribute this season a fitting homage to his legacy.
In addition to the Lakers’ tribute, West Virginia University’s football team, where West played his college basketball, is honoring him by sporting No. 44 patches on their helmets this season, mirroring the Lakers’ gesture.