The news broke last night during our show that Warriors’ special advisor Jerry West was likely leaving the team for a similar role with the Clippers. The Logo With The Midas Touch is apparently taking his talents to the Southland, where he has a home and where he began building his great NBA career as a player and executive.
One thing Jerry West can do is build. Ask the Lakers, Grizzlies, and this current solid-gold version of the Warriors. His departure is bad news for Golden State and very good news for the Clippers, although it may take a while to see the results.
Joe Lacob and Peter Guber brought in West to help Bob Myers, Travis Schlenk and company, and assembled a boat that is now out at sea full-sail. Maybe West wanted to stay closer to home, maybe Steve Ballmer offered more money, and maybe West felt like his work was done with the Warriors.
Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News, a guest on our show last night, indicated that it has been Myers’ front office for several years now, and his closest advisor on most personnel issues (as well as good friend) is coach Steve Kerr. Schlenk is now General Manager of the Atlanta Hawks. West has been a valued voice, but apparently figured it was time for him to move on, as well.
West told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that leaving the Warriors was “one of the saddest nights of my life” because of the respect he has for the organization and the players. “I don’t feel old, I feel really competitive. Sometimes you need to be challenged. I’ve been kind of defiant my whole life.”
On the Clippers, West told Shelburne “I’m very intrigued. This owner ( Steve Ballmer ) is a winner and he wants to win.” As of last night a contract had not yet been signed, but that’s expected soon.
The Clippers, at the start of the season presumed to be a serious contender in the Western Conference, are now stuck in neutral with the future of the roster up in the air. They’re in the same division as a once-in-a-generation team that has beaten them down, and in the same city as a legacy team that just brought in the beloved Magic Johnson.
Ballmer is an aggressive owner with deep pockets in a Lakers town, and may want to shake things up and create a new storyline for Hollywood. That would include a new arena near Hollywood Park, not far from where West played at The Forum.
The Los Angeles Times reports the Clippers will announce plans for the arena Thursday, the same day the Inglewood City Council reportedly considers a negotiating agreement for a basketball site across the street from where a new Rams/Chargers stadium is under construction.
There have also been reports that LeBron James, who has movie production interests and a home in Los Angeles, might move to the Clippers or Lakers in a year. Bringing in West to help woo LeBron and remake the roster isn’t a bad idea. It’ll be interesting to see how Chris Paul reacts to all of this.
If LeBron moves west It would mean facing the Warriors more often, which is great for basketball fans but might not help him get closer to a title at age 33. However, it’s that kind of seismic shift that would be needed to challenge a franchise like the Warriors, at least for starters.
There is a statue of Jerry West outside the Staples Center. He wanted to return to the Lakers, but they went in a different direction with Magic Johnson as President of Basketball Operations and Rob Pelinka as General Manager.
West told the L.A. Daily News a couple of weeks ago, “At times, I would say I was disappointed, but it kind of sent me a message. They wanted to go elsewhere, which is fine. But to say I wouldn’t have liked to end my career there, that wouldn’t necessarily be true, either.”
So he turned to the Clippers, who don’t mind being the next choice when the first date says no. They’re used to being second in L.A. but they see in West a way to change that status.
Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob told ESPN’s Marc Stein, “Jerry has been an incredible asset to our organization. We would have loved for him to remain with our franchise, but we respect his decision. He’s earned that right.”
I grew up in Los Angeles and saw West play many times. He was a high-tension wire of emotion on the floor, mixing anger and incredible focus and determination all in one. He was a nonpareil scorer with a picture perfect jump shot (Klay’s jumper reminds me a lot of Jerry) and elite defender, expert at anticipating passing lanes.
It was a career of great accomplishments and frustration, as the Lakers repeatedly lost in the Finals, mostly to the Celtics. He took those losses hard, but finally broke through in 1972 against the Knicks.
His nerves were shot as coach of the Lakers in the late 70’s, but he then became one of the greatest executives in NBA history as general manager of the Lakers. He won six titles, beating the Celtics twice, then turning the Memphis Grizzlies into contenders as their GM. In 2011, he arrived on the executive board of the Warriors.
Maybe the greatest day of my childhood was at age 12, when I got a walk-off hit in Little League, then went down to the basketball courts at our park to see Jerry West signing autographs. By this time he was a legend. I stole a piece of receipt paper and a pen from the snack shop to get his signature. Wish I still had it.
It’s okay though, because having the opportunity to interview him several times on the air made up for that. The game has changed drastically since his playing days but his insights are spot-on, and he’s not afraid to tell you. He was the opposite of a “yes man” with the Warriors, and that’s invaluable.
Especially when he voiced support for Klay in the draft, and then against trading Klay for Kevin Love. He was also a big fan of Patrick McCaw, among others.
West also stressed to Shelburne that he did not want to be a story or a distraction from the Warriors’ victory parade Thursday. Unfortunately, he will be. I don’t think it’ll be a major distraction, however. I think most fans appreciate what he has done and wish him luck (just not too much). I would say, don’t be surprised if there’s a Warriors-Clippers Western Conference Finals in a couple of years.
West is 79 and he’s still competitive as hell. That’s a good life goal. First, get to 79, hopefully with original parts, and second, keep rocking. Not a bad way to live.