Jerry West Has Passed Away

[cumberlandreds]

One of the all time greats in basketball.

https://wtop.com/nba/2024/06/jerry-west-a-3-time-hall-of-fame-selection-and-the-nba-logo-dies-at-86/

[Roy Tucker]

Sad to hear but a well-lived life. Player, coach, GM, husband and father. Saw him play with Wilt and Baylor at the Cincinnati Gardens. RIP Jerry.

[Tuff Nut]

My favorite player, before Bird. R.I.
P. Mr. Logo

[Chip R]

Possibly the greatest all around NBA career of anyone. Obviously a Hall of Fame player. No championships but a very good record as a coach. His record in the front office speaks for itself. Maybe Don Nelson compares but Nellie's playing career was solid but not spectacular. Phil Jackson was a decent player and a hell of a coach. Michael Jordan was arguably the GOAT but has not been successful as an owner.

[M2]

West was a genius at spotting talent. There's organizations that have put together vast and complicated systems to be half as good as what Jerry West could do by watching a group of guys play basketball.

[Kingspoint]

"Geek from Cabin Creek" was one of the first five books I read start to finish (severe ADHD, and all, at a time that meant you were just mischievious).

My Jerry West story (told it here before)...

It was the Summer of 1972 and Jerry West was going to be at Meier & Frank downtown to sign autographs. Just turned 13 and I only had one basketball at the time (good Wilson basketballs were pretty expensive), an ABA ball. When it was my turn to get my autograph and I handed him the ball, he says, "What's this beachball? You want me to sign this?" Sheepishly, I said, "Yes". I thanked him and cherished that autographed basketball, but I had a problem. I didn't have a basketball to play with now. I ended up getting another one, eventually, and eventually started playing with that one, too. So, I played with a Jerry West signed beachball when I was 13 and 14 until I wore it out [I played basketball nearly every day of my life until I was 17 and I always had a basketball in my car to stop anywhere to shoot (it was very therapeutic) until the age of 25]. Played adult basketball into my 30's. Loved to play the game.

Jerry West was the only thing I ever liked about the Lakers, despising them otherwise accept when they played against the Celtics. I was all Laker fan in those series.

RIP, Mr. Clutch.

The game will never be the same without you. Everything you touched turned to gold.

[Mitri]

Possibly the greatest all around NBA career of anyone. Obviously a Hall of Fame player. No championships but a very good record as a coach. His record in the front office speaks for itself. Maybe Don Nelson compares but Nellie's playing career was solid but not spectacular. Phil Jackson was a decent player and a hell of a coach. Michael Jordan was arguably the GOAT but has not been successful as an owner.

West won a title with the Lakers in '72 vs. Knicks. Knicks won the rematch the following season and it would be the last time he'd play in a Finals as a player.

[Chip R]

West won a title with the Lakers in '72 vs. Knicks.

No championships as a coach.

[Kingspoint]

No championships as a coach.

I forgot he even was a Coach. Never thought of him as one.

[Chip R]

I forgot he even was a Coach. Never thought of him as one.

I know. I never realized it until that Winning Time show they had on HBO. I think West actually sued about how they depicted him on the show.

[Ky Fried Redleg]

You all have heard me talk about Frank Selvy a lot. Frank is probably the best basketball player, certainly the most successful one, to ever come out of eastern Kentucky and probably the entire Commonwealth. Of Course, Frank is a product of my high school, Corbin High School. Frank was a standout at Corbin in the late 40's, then in college at Furman in the early 50's , where he scored 100 points in a single game. He was also the #1 draft pick in the NBA draft in 1954. He made two NBA All-Star teams.

Why am I talking about Frank in a Jerry West thread? Well, what many people are not aware of is that Frank was a teammate of Jerry West with the Lakers. Frank played his final four NBA seasons with the Lakers. In the '61/ '62 season, the Corbin legend averaged 14.7/5.2/4.8 for the Lakers. Frank and Jerry West were the Lakers backcourt in Game 7 of the '62 NBA finals against the Celtics. Frank led a furious last minute Lakers comeback by scoring four points in a span of 20 seconds to tie the game at 100. Then came "the shot." West and Elgin Baylor were very well covered by the Celtics defense and Hot Rod Hundley found Frank, who had the ball in his hands as time winded down. His 18-footer from the baseline bounced off the rim and the game went to overtime, where the Celtics won yet another title.

Frank, with a make of the 18- foot baseline shot could have ended the Celtic dynasty and changed the course of NBA history. Frank had a good NBA career but will long be be remembered for "the shot" that would have changed history. And now you know...THE REST... OF THE STORY .

West has said in interviews that this is the one game that has kept him up at nights. While he would have liked to have taken that shot, he acknowledges that he was double teamed and Frank had hit the tying shot a few seconds earlier. Here's a quote about those last seconds I found from an interview that West did:


“You know, people will talk about Frank for missing that shot. I will never talk about him because he made the one that really mattered… he missed a shot that I’m sure a lot of us would have liked to have. That’s sports. That game, I just, even today, I go to bed and say, ‘Oh my gosh, I wish I coulda had that for that last shot.’ And, again, I don’t know if I would have made it or not. It’s something that I wish I had the opportunity to do." ---- Jerry West




https://youtu.be/mJXWPQjI020



Laker teammates, Jerry West and Frank Selvy. RIP to both of these basketball legends, one a Mountaineer from the tiny town of Chelyan , West Virginia and the other, a small town boy from Corbin. KY . Thanks for the memories...

Jerry, top row on the left(#44) . Frank, same row (#11) .


21389

[Roy Tucker]

On NBA TV tonight, they had the 1972 All Star game. Jerry West hit the game winning shot with 2 seconds left. Fun watching all those players. Wilt, Frazier, Oscar, West, Cazzie, Cowens, Havlicek, and a whole lot more. I remember these guys liked it happened yesterday.

[RichRed]

You all have heard me talk about Frank Selvy a lot. Frank is probably the best basketball player, certainly the most successful one, to ever come out of eastern Kentucky and probably the entire Commonwealth. Of Course, Frank is a product of my high school, Corbin High School. Frank was a standout at Corbin in the late 40's, then in college at Furman in the early 50's , where he scored 100 points in a single game. He was also the #1 draft pick in the NBA draft in 1954. He made two NBA All-Star teams.

Why am I talking about Frank in a Jerry West thread? Well, what many people are not aware of is that Frank was a teammate of Jerry West with the Lakers. Frank played his final four NBA seasons with the Lakers. In the '61/ '62 season, the Corbin legend averaged 14.7/5.2/4.8 for the Lakers. Frank and Jerry West were the Lakers backcourt in Game 7 of the '62 NBA finals against the Celtics. Frank led a furious last minute Lakers comeback by scoring four points in a span of 20 seconds to tie the game at 100. Then came "the shot." West and Elgin Baylor were very well covered by the Celtics defense and Hot Rod Hundley found Frank, who had the ball in his hands as time winded down. His 18-footer from the baseline bounced off the rim and the game went to overtime, where the Celtics won yet another title.

Frank, with a make of the 18- foot baseline shot could have ended the Celtic dynasty and changed the course of NBA history. Frank had a good NBA career but will long be be remembered for "the shot" that would have changed history. And now you know...THE REST... OF THE STORY .

West has said in interviews that this is the one game that has kept him up at nights. While he would have liked to have taken that shot, he acknowledges that he was double teamed and Frank had hit the tying shot a few seconds earlier. Here's a quote about those last seconds I found from an interview that West did:


“You know, people will talk about Frank for missing that shot. I will never talk about him because he made the one that really mattered… he missed a shot that I’m sure a lot of us would have liked to have. That’s sports. That game, I just, even today, I go to bed and say, ‘Oh my gosh, I wish I coulda had that for that last shot.’ And, again, I don’t know if I would have made it or not. It’s something that I wish I had the opportunity to do." ---- Jerry West




https://youtu.be/mJXWPQjI020



Laker teammates, Jerry West and Frank Selvy. RIP to both of these basketball legends, one a Mountaineer from the tiny town of Chelyan , West Virginia and the other, a small town boy from Corbin. KY . Thanks for the memories...

Jerry, top row on the left(#44) . Frank, same row (#11) .


21389

Selvy is apparently still kicking at 91 years old. Would be cool if he scored 100 points in a game AND made it to 100 years of age.

[Kingspoint]

On NBA TV tonight, they had the 1972 All Star game. Jerry West hit the game winning shot with 2 seconds left. Fun watching all those players. Wilt, Frazier, Oscar, West, Cazzie, Cowens, Havlicek, and a whole lot more. I remember these guys liked it happened yesterday.

Yeah, I was in heaven back then. 8th Grade then during the '72-'73 season, and my first time attending NBA games. We were from the poorest white neighborhood in Portland so nobody had any money. Getting the busfare to go downtown for the weekend games (Harry Glickman always petitioned that the Blazers got a ton of Friday/Saturday/Sunday games, a lot more than the rest of the league got). We snuck into about 25 home games that season (usually about seven of us), while we spent two hours before and after the game hanging around inside the Coliseum. Some of us would get autographs, myself being really good at it, and I got them all (except Nate Thurmond wouldn't give me his autograph and Nate Archibald thought he was too important to give his autograph, a major ass was Tiny, but Nate Thurmond was a good guy).

[Mutaman]

Nate Archibald thought he was too important to give his autograph, a major ass was Tiny, but Nate Thurmond was a good guy).

Was in the beer line once at old Nassau Coliseum with a buddy when an athletic guy walked by, stopped and shook hands and gave hugs to my friend. My friend says "Hey Mutaman, meet Tiny Archibald, we went to DeWitt Clinton together." Tiny bought us beers and struck me as a heck of a nice guy.

[Kingspoint]

Was in the beer line once at old Nassau Coliseum with a buddy when an athletic guy walked by, stopped and shook hands and gave hugs to my friend. My friend says "Hey Mutaman, meet Tiny Archibald, we went to DeWitt Clinton together." Tiny bought us beers and struck me as a heck of a nice guy.

Anyone can be nice when they are with people they know. His true colors were well represented the many times I saw him. He was the NBA's biggest ass. He was nothing short of a complete jerk.

[Mutaman]

Anyone can be nice when they are with people they know. His true colors were well represented the many times I saw him. He was the NBA's biggest ass. He was nothing short of a complete jerk.

Tiny didn't know me from the man in the moon. But he said he felt bad for running over your dog.

[Ky Fried Redleg]

Selvy is apparently still kicking at 91 years old. Would be cool if he scored 100 points in a game AND made it to 100 years of age.

That's correct. Frank lives in Simpsonville, SC, I believe. I was thinking about another sports star from our town, Rodger Bird , who passed away a few years ago. Rodger Bird was a star at Corbin , All-American at UK , and then a return specialist and defensive back for the Oakland Raiders. Sadly, he passed awhile back. The Raiders were my first football love , because of Rodger. Two of the best to ever come from Corbin KY --- Frank Selvy and Rodger Bird. Both made their marks in both college and the pros.

Here's Frank at Furman a couple years ago. They named a student-athlete of the year award after Frank in celebration of Selvy being inducted into the College Basketball HOF.

21417

[Kingspoint]

Tiny didn't know me from the man in the moon. But he said he felt bad for running over your dog.

You said you were introduced by his college friend. Follow the logic, please.

[Mutaman]

You said you were introduced by his college friend. Follow the logic, please.

Dewitt Clinton is a high school in the Bronx. Can't say i know anyone who attended Texas at El Paso, Tiny's alma mater.