Jerry West

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75 Stories | Jerry West

Joey Ramirez

Magic, Kareem, Worthy, West, Wilt, Riley.

Bird, McHale, Russell, Parish, Cousy, Red.

It doesn’t get more historic, or heated, than the Lakers-Celtics rivalry, which is why ESPN’s “30 for 30” documentary series spent five hours exploring what made those matchups in the 1960s and ‘80s so captivating.

All three parts of “Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies” can be seen here for those whose television providers include ESPN.

Below, we take a look at some of the highlights that director Jim Podhoretz and his crew dug into.

Humble Beginnings
When the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, they were greeted at the airport by 10,000 fans. Two years later, the Lakers unceremoniously drove into L.A. around midnight.

Back in 1960, the NBA was nowhere near the global powerhouse that it is today. As Jerry West said, the Lakers would have to drive around from neighborhood to neighborhood in the back of the team van, greeting fans and putting on hoops clinics just to draw an audience of 3,000 on a good night.

“No one knew who the hell we were and no one cared,” Tom Hawkins said. “What the hell was a Laker?”

That all changed when legendary announcer Chick Hearn took over the mic, as the Lakers began drawing 15,000 overnight once he entered the scene.

The issue became defeating the dreaded Celtics, as even Elgin Baylor’s legendary 61-point performance during the 1962 NBA Finals couldn’t deliver the Lakers a championship.

The frustration hit an all-time high in 1969, despite adding Wilt Chamberlain to West and Baylor’s Hall of Fame duo. In Game 7 against Boston, then-Owner Jack Kent Cooke was so confident of his team that he had a giant collection of balloons hung from the Forum ceiling, waiting to drop on a title celebration.

They never fell, as Boston edged out another ring. “It was the lowest point of my life,” West said.

`West eventually did get his ring in 1972, but it came against the New York Knicks, keeping Boston’s record against L.A. pristine.

The Strange Road to ‘82
Two years after a rookie Magic Johnson famously played center in the decisive Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals, the Lakers were back in the final round for a rematch with Philadelphia.

But the path to this point was an odd one, especially for Johnson.

Signed over the offseason to a 25-year, $25-million contract — the biggest in sports history at the time — Johnson made a stunning demand for a trade when he sparred constantly with coach Paul Westhead early in the season.

Instead, Westhead was let go, and Pat Riley — who had recently been working as the color commentator alongside Hearn — was chosen to step in.

But even that wasn’t so simple, as then-Owner Dr. Jerry Buss had also tabbed West as the “offensive coach,” leading to confusion over who was the true leader on a team with seemingly two head coaches. But West quickly quieted that by saying, “I’m going to be working for Pat Riley.”

Meanwhile, Johnson — the man who went on to be one of L.A.’s greatest sports icons — was actually booed by his fans in the team’s first home game, as the Forum crowd voiced its displeasure with his spat with Westhead.

But it didn’t take long for Magic to win them back, as the Lakers swept San Antonio to reach the Finals once again. It seemed all set up for a rematch with the Celtics, whose own fans were getting vocal at Boston Garden.

During Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the first “Beat L.A.” chant erupted. But the 76ers didn’t take kindly to the fans looking past them and upended Boston to reach their own rubber match with the Lakers.

But that series had the same result for the Sixers, as Johnson — the Finals MVP — picked up his second ring by leading his team to the title in six games.

Unleashing Kareem
The year before, the Celtics pulled off a seven-game victory over the Lakers in the NBA Finals. This time around, in 1985, began with another statement, as Boston drubbed L.A. 148-114 in Game 1, as the historic beatdown became known as the “Memorial Day Massacre.”

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was held to 12 points and three rebounds, took the bulk of the blame, with the national media wondering whether his career was coming to a close.

The 38-year-old could barely keep up on the floor, and Riley let him have it in the following day’s film session, as the coach even put his hand through a chalkboard during a particularly heated moment.

Heading back to the Garden for Game 2, a calmed-down Riley relaxed on one of his strict rules, allowing Kareem to bring his father aboard the team bus.

With his dad alongside him, Abdul-Jabbar proved that he was far from finished, lighting the Celtics up for 30 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists, as the Lakers evened up the series. James Worthy went as far as to say that Kareem looked “like he could fight a grizzly one-on-one.”

Immediately after the game, Riley called his center “the greatest to ever play.”

Abdul-Jabbar kept it going for the remainder of the series, as the Lakers — who had lost all eight previous Finals matchups with the Celtics — shocked the Garden crowd by winning in six games.

”It’s as if there is no one at Boston Garden right now,” Hearn said. “That’s how quiet it is.”

For his efforts, Abdul-Jabbar was named Finals MVP. Having already shown that he had plenty left, he went on two capture two more rings — including in 1987, when the Lakers once again beat Boston to secure a 2-1 head-to-head Finals record against their rivals during the Showtime era.

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Celtics/Lakers: 3 Takeaways from the Latest '30 for 30'

When Shaquille O’Neal was a child, his stepfather, the late Sgt. Phillip Harrison, would quiz him on the greatest centers in NBA history — from Wilt Chamberlain to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

With his own legacy as one of the best to play the game firmly established, O’Neal received the top honor that the Lakers have to give, as a bronze statue of him was unveiled at Staples Center on Friday.

And one of those legends that he grew up admiring was there to toast O’Neal’s latest accolade.

“When I look up at that statue, I will see the kind of talented, passionate and generous man that we’ve been building statues to for 30,000 years,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “And we should all be inspired to be our best selves.”

Abdul-Jabbar — who also has a statue along with Magic Johnson, Jerry West and Chick Hearn —  was far from the only member of Lakers lore on hand.

The crowd included the likes of former teammates Derek Fisher, Robert Horry, Gary Payton and Slava Medvedenko, while a horde of Lakers fans outlined the arena, watching on video screens from the “Shaqtown” street festival.

And while longtime Lakers color commentator Stu Lantz hosted the afternoon, O’Neal sat on stage with Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson, Lakers Owner Jeanie Buss and President of Staples Center Lee Zeidman.

The last of that group quipped that he feared the 9-foot, 1,200-pound depiction of O’Neal, suspended 10 feet off the ground, would end up tearing down the whole arena.

The joke stemmed from O’Neal’s tendency to break the hoop with his ferocious dunks. But that was far from the only talent that the 2000 MVP and three-time NBA Finals MVP had on the floor.

Bryant called him “the most dominant player I’ve ever seen,” while Abdul-Jabbar compared opponents guarding O’Neal to “watching those tiny, little biplanes try to take down King Kong.”

Abdul-Jabbar’s teammate and current President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson was too busy traveling for his new role to attend, but he did record a video message, telling O’Neal, “you took the city by storm with your play, but also with your personality.”

The Lakers’ former General Manager (and legend in his own right), Jerry West, grew emotional talking about O’Neal, whom he signed in free agency back in 1996.

In particular, West applauded Shaq for his community work for the city of Los Angeles.

“Behind the scenes, this was one of the most giving human beings I have ever seen in my life,” West said. “He (made) acts of kindness for a lot of people that you will never know.”

O’Neal himself packed his brief speech with humor — ranging from West’s Versace housecoat to former adversary Vlade Divac’s “flopping self.”

But he also had an idea of how he wants people that visit his statue to feel about him.

“I think they would say, ‘Here’s a guy who played with a lot of force,’” O’Neal said. “‘A guy that wanted the crowd to go crazy.’ … I always tried to dunk to intimidate my opponents, but to also make the crowd go crazy.”

Of course, O’Neal had to make the current audience go crazy as well.

Reaching back for the phrase that he used at the Lakers’ championship parades during the three-peat era, he finished his speech with a bellow.

“You know it’s coming,” he said. “Can you dig it?! Can you dig it?!”

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Shaq Receives Bronze Statue Outside STAPLES Center

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LOS ÁNGELES – El marco estuvo a la altura de las contribuciones de Shaquille O’Neal a los Lakers y la ciudad de Los Ángeles.

En un viernes radiante, de cielo despejado y clima cálido, los Lakers y STAPLES Center presentaron la estatua que inmortaliza al tres veces campeón con la púrpura dorada en las afueras del reciento que supo ser su hogar.

Las luminarias descendieron al centro de la ciudad, en el Star Plaza de L.A. Live, para celebrar la carrera de una figura que muchas veces trascendió el deporte.

Desde Jerry West hasta Luke Walton, pasando por Phil Jackson, Slava Medvedenko y Kobe Bryant, varias docenas de ex compañeros, entrenadores, familiares y amigos se reunieron para ser parte del homenaje.

El mítico Stu Lantz – histórico compañero de ruta de Chick Hearn – hizo las veces de presentador, y hasta Magic Johnson se hizo presente, aunque mediante un video ya que se encuentra en Memphis en su rol oficial de Presidente de Operaciones de la Franquicia.

Los halagos, las anécdotas y algunas lágrimas se mesturaron con el fervor del púbico. Miles de aficionados se hicieron presentes para acompañar al Big Aristotle en su día, y hacerle sentir ese amor eterno que le declararon allá por 1996 cuando este abandonó Orlando para convertirse en un lagunero.

“Lo quise como a un hijo”, dijo West, superando por poco el nudo que se le iba formando en la garganta.

“Siempre serás recordado en esta ciudad por tu juego, y por tu sonrisa”, le apuntó Johnson en su grabación.

“Fue el jugador más dominante que vi en mi vida”, agregó Bryant, quien intercambió sonrisas con O’Neal en el podio.

Cuando le llegó su turno, Shaq se encargó de completar una larga lista de agradecimientos, comenzando por el arquitecto de todo esto.

“Desearía que el Dr. Buss estuviera aquí”, avisó.

Al final, es como si nunca se hubiera ido, y Jeanie Buss se lo dejó saber desde el principio de la ceremonia.

“Les pregunté a los aficionados de los Lakers qué mensaje querían que te comunicara”, confesó. “El principal: tú siempre serás un Laker”.

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Shaq se bañó de bronce en una tarde inolvidable

Cuando se trata de los Lakers, no hay mayor honor que el que Shaquille O’Neal recibirá este viernes.

Trece años después de que el gigantón dominara el parquet con la camiseta púrpura y dorada, su imagen será inmortalizada en bronce afuera de STAPLES Center.

La estatua de 9 pies y 1,200 libras de O’Neal completando una volcada es un reflejo del impacto que tuvo en su tiempo con los Lakers.

Pocos alguna vez alcanzan las alturas requeridas para ganarse ese honor, por lo que Shaq se convertirá en apenas la quinta persona en la historia del equipo en recibirlo.

Magic Johnson
Cuatro años después de la apertura de STAPLES Center, los Lakers le rindieron tributo al hombre que hizo que su antiguo hogar, el Forum, fuera el lugar predilecto en los 1980s.

El pentacampeón Magic Johnson fue el primero en ser honrado con una estatua el 11 de febrero de 2004, y el líder del Showtime de los Lakers recibió una representación de 17 pies suya liderando un contragolpe.

Ahora como Presidente de Operaciones de Baloncesto de la franquicia, Johnson buscará seguir sumando a su legado, que ya cuenta con cinco trofeos al JMV y 12 selecciones al Juego de Estrellas.

Chick Hearn
Pese a que nunca disputó un minuto, Chick Hearn quizás haya tenido más impacto en los Lakers – y en el deporte del baloncesto – que nadie.

El relator de los Lakers durante 42 años, Hearn falleció ocho años antes que los Lakers presentaran su estatua durante una serie de playoffs el 20 de abril de 2010.

La viuda de Hearn, Marge, fue la primera en sentarse en el asiento vacío al lado de la representación de Hearn, que fue ubicada para que los aficionados pudieran posar con él.

Jerry West
Cuando los Lakers llegaron a Los Ángeles en 1960, ellos se trajeron un novato que dirigiría dos eras de dominio del equipo.

Como jugador, Jerry West fue seleccionado al Juego de Estrellas en todos sus 14 años de carrera. Él llevó a los Lakers al título de 1972 y tuvo gran parte de la responsabilidad en los tres banderines que se agregaron a principios de los 2000s. Como el gerente general del equipo en 1996, él realizó un canje por el novato Kobe Bryant y firmó al agente libre Shaquille O’Neal.

El 17 de febrero de 2011, West fue honrado con su propia estatua manejando el balón – una pose similar que los aficionados de todo el mundo conocen ya que fue la utilizada en el logo de la NBA, que sigue vigente al día de hoy.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
El 17 de febrero de 2011, el tiro más difícil de defender de la historia del baloncesto fue inmortalizado en bronce.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – el líder en puntos en la historia de la NBA – recibió su estatua, que lo muestra impulsando su famoso gancho celestial.

Abdul-Jabbar — cuyos logros incluyen seis campeonatos, seis premios al JMV y la Medalla Presidencial de la Libertad – había expresado su deseo de tener una estatua, que fue presentada con luminarios como Magic Johnson y Pat Riley presentes.

Shaquille O’Neal
El 24 de marzo de 2017, O’Neal se convertirá en el próximo en bañarse en bronce.

La ceremonia contará con Shaq, sus compañeros, amigos y otros, y el miembro del Salón de la Fama develará la estatua de su imagen volcando, que colgará de la fachada del STAPLES Centers para que todos la puedan apreciar.

Nota: STAPLES Center también cuenta con estatuas de las leyendas de los L.A. Kings Wayne Gretzky y Luc Robitaille, además del reconocido boxeador angelino Oscar De La Hoya.

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Shaq se une a leyendas de Lakers inmortalizadas en bronce

When it comes to the Lakers, there is no higher honor than the one that Shaquille O’Neal is set to receive on Friday.

Thirteen years after the Big Fella dominated the hardwood for the purple and gold, his likeness will be immortalized in bronze outside of Staples Center.

The 9-foot, 1,200-pound statue of O’Neal throwing down a slam dunk is a testament to the impact that he had during his time as a Laker.

Few ever reach the heights required to earn this honor, which is why Shaq will become just the fifth person in team history to receive it.

Magic Johnson
Four years after Staples Center opened, the Lakers paid tribute to the man who made their old home, the Forum, the place to be in the 1980s.

Five-time champion Magic Johnson was the first to be honored with a statue on Feb. 11, 2004, as the leader of the Showtime Lakers was bestowed a 17-foot tall depiction of him leading a fast-break.

Now the franchise’s President of Basketball Operations, Johnson will seek to add to his legacy, which already boasts five MVP trophies and 12 All-Star selections.

Chick Hearn
Despite the fact that he never played a minute, Chick Hearn might have left a bigger impact on the Lakers — and the game of basketball itself — than anyone else.

The Lakers’ play-by-play announcer for 42 years, Hearn had died eight years before the Lakers unveiled his statue during a playoff series on April 20, 2010.

Hearn’s widow, Marge, was the first to sit in the empty seat next to Hearn’s likeness, which was placed there so fans can pose with Hearn. And legends like James Worthy and broadcast partner Stu Lantz toasted the man who coined phrases like “slam dunk” and “finger roll.”

Jerry West
When the Lakers first arrived in Los Angeles in 1960, they brought with them a rookie who would go on to orchestrate two eras of the team’s dominance.

As a player, Jerry West was named an All-Star for all 14 years of his career. “Mr. Clutch” led the Lakers to the 1972 championship and had a large hand in adding three more banners in the early 2000s. As the team’s general manager in 1996, he traded for rookie Kobe Bryant and signed free agent Shaquille O’Neal.

On Feb. 17, 2011, West was honored with his own statue of himself mid-dribble — a pose familiar to basketball fans around the world since it was used as the NBA logo, which remains to this day.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
On Feb. 17, 2011, basketball’s most unstoppable shot was memorialized forever in bronze.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — the NBA’s all-time leading scorer — received his statue, which depicted him in the middle of launching his famous skyhook.

Abdul-Jabbar — whose many accolades include six championships, six MVP awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom — was vocal about his desire for a statue, which was at last awarded to him with the likes of Magic Johnson and Pat Riley in attendance.

Shaquille O’Neal
On March 24, 2016, O’Neal will become the latest to receive the bronze treatment.

A ceremony will be held featuring Shaq, his teammates, friends and others, as the Hall of Famer will unveil the statue of himself dunking, which will hang off a Staples Center awning for all to see.

Note: Staples Center also features statues of Los Angeles Kings greats Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille, as well as L.A. native and champion boxer Oscar De La Hoya.

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Shaq to Join Fellow Lakers Legends With Statue Treatment

When it comes to Halloween, the Lakers are as scary as they come in the NBA, having compiled a 11-4 record on October 31 since moving to Los Angeles in 1960.

The purple and gold enjoyed a six-game Halloween winning streak from 1980-2010, and many of the franchise’s top players have treated fans to some memorable holiday performances.

Lakers On Halloween (Since Moving to Los Angeles)

Here are the Lakers’ top Halloween displays that surely still haunt their opponents.

First In L.A. (1962)
Just two years after moving from Minneapolis, the Lakers played their first Halloween game against a struggling New York team that came in at 2-5. Knicks All-Star Johnny Green put up 28 points, but his efforts were dwarfed by the Hall of Fame combo of Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. West dropped 35 on New York, while Baylor matched Green’s 28, and the Lakers rushed past the Knicks, 115-95.

Showtime Scary (1985)
Coming off the franchise’s ninth championship, the Lakers were absolutely terrifying in moving to 3-0 with a 144-107 rout of Phoenix. Seven Lakers scored double figures, including four off the bench. Byron Scott caught fire for 31 points on a hyper-efficient 11-of-13 shooting, while Larry Nance Jr.’s father, Larry Sr., led the Suns with 23 points.

Season-Opening Statement (1997)
Just a few months after Utah had bounced them in five games in the Western Conference Semifinals, the Lakers sought to prove they could hang with the best on a Halloween Opening Night. Despite trailing by 12 at the end of the first quarter, the Lakers used a 61-42 second half to pull out a 104-87 victory led by 19-year-old Kobe Bryant, who scored a game-high 23 points off the bench thanks to a 13-of-14 free throw clip.

Nick Van Exel (22 points) helped counter a big night from Karl Malone (20 points, 14 rebounds), who played without legendary point guard John Stockton that night. But the Jazz took their revenge in the playoffs by sweeping Los Angeles in the Western Conference Finals.

Ghost of Postseason Past (2000)
Five months after rallying from a 15-point, fourth-quarter deficit against Portland in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers mounted another late run to beat the Trail Blazers. Down by two at the start of the fourth quarter, current L.A. associate head coach Brian Shaw hit a 3-pointer to get his team going. He scored seven points during the Lakers’ ensuing 11-2 run, shocking the packed Oregon crowd on their way to a 96-86 win.

Meanwhile, Shaquille O’Neal was the monster under the bed for the majority of Opening Night, racking up 36 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and four blocks, despite the Blazers trying a handful of defenders and double-teams against him.

Mamba Costume (2006)
With Bryant, the NBA’s reigning scoring champion, sidelined after knee surgery, Lamar Odom apparently decided to put on a Kobe Halloween costume, pushing his team to a 114-106 win with 34 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.

At first, the Lakers appeared doomed without their star, as Phoenix made its first nine shots and rushed out to a 41-26 first-quarter lead. However, Odom and Andrew Bynum (18 points, nine rebounds) steadied the team from there, outscoring the Suns 61-38 in the middle quarters of the season opener, while current head coach Luke Walton provided 11 points.

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The Lakers' Top Halloween Moments

Jerry West might be an executive for the Golden State Warriors, but the 14-time All-Star nonetheless stopped by the Lakers’ practice facility on Thursday to address the current members of his former team.

West spent every year of his playing career with the Lakers and later added three more as the team’s head coach and 18 as General Manger or executive.

According to Brandon Ingram, West delivered a message highlighting the importance of routine and trusting the team’s plan for the future.

“Jerry talked today about his team winning 33 games in a row and how bad it hurt whenever he lost a game and how personally he took it,” head coach Luke Walton said. “I think players always relate pretty well to former players.”

West isn’t the first Lakers legend to speak to this year’s squad, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and Gail Goodrich have done the same.

Walton wants his players to take away “the idea of what it is to be a Laker” and a sense of the organization’s history.

“They come in here and they talk about all the banners here and the new era,” Ingram said. “They set a (standard) and give us motivation each and every day we come here and look up at all the banners every single day.”

But Walton is also careful that his team doesn’t get lost too deep in the past, saying that he rarely even brings up memories from his own playing days.

“When we’re out here on the court, I don’t want heyday stories going on,” Walton said. “We former players had our time. This is these guys’ time. It should be all about them and what they’re doing.”

Back to the Present
The Lakers have one preseason game remaining against Phoenix in Anaheim on Friday, and they will be without Jose Calderon, who will miss his third straight game due to a strained left calf.

Timofey Mozgov — who bruised his tailbone on a fall in Wednesday’s contest — is questionable and did not practice.

Walton will have to cut two players to reach the maximum of 15 on the roster for the regular season, which begins on Wednesday, but he isn’t sure whether he will give extra minutes to players competing for the final spots on Friday or run a rotation closer to what he envisions for the regular season.

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Jerry West Shares Experiences With Lakers Before Practice

<strong>Game Time Update</strong>: The start time for the game on <strong>1/17/24</strong> at Crypto.com Arena has been moved to 5:30pm PT