Remembering the life and career of NBA legend Jerry West
USA TODAY’s Jeff Zillgitt remembers the legend Jerry West, who passed away at age 86.
Sports Pulse
Jerry West, about two years ago, was on a podcast talking about Bill Russell. He called Russell the greatest winner to ever play professional basketball. West, also on that podcast, then said this:
“They traded two white guys for a Black guy then,” he said, “in Boston, which was a city…it was filled with racial tension.” The Celtics in 1956 acquired Russell’s draft rights from the St. Louis Hawks for Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan.
West was making an historical point about race. He was in essence saying what the Celtics did then was riskier than people realize today.
This was far from the first time West, who died this past week at the age of 86, talked race and the NBA. He grew from someone who didn’t know a Black person until he got into college, into a solid ally of Black players. This isn’t to portray West as heroic. The true heroes are the Black players who were directly impacted by racism’s destructive powers, and still succeeded at the highest of levels.
West was, however, bigger than the logo. He was an ally before the term was fully developed into how we think of it today.
In another moment, over ten years ago, West spoke about the Black NBA pioneers. He even went a step further and discussed the mental toll racism (and in some cases segregation) had on these men.
“If we go back and look at the history of some of our Black predecessors,” West says, “I think the thing I’m most amazed about is that everything that was denied to them, that they would still (feel) compelled to go out and compete and want to show everyone that they were the best.”
Read more about West: Jerry West deserved more from the Lakers. Team should have repaired their rift years ago.
Two years ago, following Russell’s death, West spoke again about the Celtics star, and again about the racism Russell faced while playing in Boston. He compared Russell to Jackie Robinson.
“In every generation people make a difference not only with their play,” West said, “but also with their persona. Bill Russell and Jackie Robinson were in that same class.”
“You look at everything he went through in Boston as a Black man and you think, if he didn’t have the great success, how would he be treated?” West asked.
There are other instances of West talking about race. He once said on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s podcast that “the most important people in my life were five Black men. Five. I haven’t talked about this very much in my life. Kareem, I didn’t even broach it with you.” Those men were people West played with in college and the pros.
When growing up in West Virginia he didn’t know any Black people and as a rookie in the NBA decided he wanted a Black roommate. The Lakers assigned him Ray Felix, who was the NBA’s first Black Rookie of the Year.
“I learned more about race by being around him, about things he saw growing up,” West said. “It was a different education for me. It affected my reading. I looked for books about all the incredible minority leaders, about Civil Rights, so that’s what I did after games.
“After he got to know me, we became friends. I was a rookie and wasn’t playing much, and he used to tell me not to worry. I saw some of my other teammates who got more minutes, who didn’t stay in shape, they were out drinking almost every night and it frustrated me. I said to him, ‘I’m serious about this.’ He would tell me then, ‘You’re going to be one of the greatest players who ever played.’ I laughed and said, ‘I don’t know about that.’ But it motivated me.”
West once said that racism played a role in the criticism of a young Shaquille O’Neal. “I would hope that racism is something that just does not work in this day and age, but I know otherwise,” West said. “I get horrible mail from people who, among other things, call me a racist because we don’t have any white players on the team, which is patently absurd.”
This was West. He knew racism was a real thing. He addressed it. West told his stories because he knew they were needed and told them without fear or worrying about what people think.
So much of West’s life has been discussed since his death but this was one of the biggest parts of who he was. It may have been the greatest part of his legacy.