MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Jerry West has once again been recognized as one of the greatest athletes in the history of professional basketball.
The NBA 75 list, which was revealed this week to commemorate the association’s 75th anniversary, includes West, who played for the Lakers from 1960-74. It’s another remarkable honor for the former WVU hoops star, who was inducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame more than 40 years ago.
West, a native of Chelyan, West Virginia, played at WVU from 1957-60. With West in the lineup, the Mountaineers won 81 of their 93 contests during the span of his collegiate career, reaching the national championship game in 1959.
The player whose likeness became synonymous with the NBA logo was drafted by the Lakers at No. 2 overall in 1960. West and the Lakers reached the NBA Finals nine times during his pro career, and the former Mountaineer lifted the trophy in 1972. West is a former NBA scoring champion, played in the NBA All-Star Game 14 times in his career and once held the association’s record for career playoff points (3,078).
He was enshrined in the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980 and the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 1991. In 1997, he was named to a similar NBA roster, honoring the league’s 50 greatest players during its 50h anniversary season.
Other basketball legends appearing on the NBA 75 list include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Steph Curry, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell and James Worthy.
