The Boston Celtics have the most championships and Hall of Fame selections in NBA history. Yet, the Los Angeles Lakers are the most popular franchise the league has, largely due to the larger-than-life personalities that have worn purple and gold.
Jerry West, the silhouette for the NBA logo, led the Lakers to nine NBA Finals. Magic Johnson, a flashy facilitator, led the Showtime Lakers alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kobe Bryant, the most memorable player in Lakers history, fired LA up while winning championships with and without Shaquille O’Neal. The team is now led by LeBron James, who’s arguably the best player in NBA history.
This week, the Basketball Hall of Fame honored West —who passed away in June —as a contributor to the game of basketball. As he’s already been inducted for his playing career and for being part of the 1960 US Olympic team that won gold, he became its first three-time inductee.
After Tuesday’s practice, James was asked whether he has any standout memories with West.
“He’s ‘The Logo’ for the reason and a very dear friend of mine. Definitely a sad day when he passed.” James says solemnly. “We had a lot of great conversations, a lot of great moments. Just an all-around great man, great family.”
After West’s passing, James called him a “mentor” and “friend” in a Twitter post.
With that being said, James has a reason to feel like he has a kindred spirit in West. Both were faces of the league. In fact, considering that West was the inspiration for the NBA logo, they both still are. Both have been exceptional as players and leaders of men. Yet, they’ve also faced more adversity than many players in their position after facing some of the most formidable teams in history.
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