Lakers reveal classy gesture to honor Jerry West
Mar 15, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; LA Clippers executive board member Jerry West reacts in the first half against the Chicago Bulls at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers will make to sure keep Jerry West’s memory alive throughout the 2024-25 campaign.
The Lakers announced Tuesday that the team will wear commemorative No. 44 bands on their jerseys for every game in the season.
West died peacefully in his sleep earlier this year. He was 86 years old.
The 14-time All-Star wore No. 44 in nearly a thousand NBA games spanning 14 seasons — all of them for the Lakers.
West’s impact in the NBA extended beyond his playing years. He also became one of the league’s most respected front office executives and helped jumpstart the Golden State Warriors dynasty that ruled the 2010s.
In 2017, West became an advisor for the Los Angeles Clippers, a role he held up until his death.
Over the past decade, West had feuded with the Lakers franchise. In 2013, the Hall of Famer had his lifetime season tickets revoked and was even excommunicated from the Lakers entirely after a reported disagreement with Jeanie Buss. The reasons behind the fractured relationship between Buss and West have only recently come to light.
But the recent beef between West and the Lakers doesn’t overshadow what “The Logo” did for the franchise and the NBA as a whole.
The Los Angeles Lakers are hiring Zach Guthrie as the coach of the franchise’s G League affiliate in South Bay, sources tell ESPN. Guthrie has been an NBA assistant with Washington, Dallas and Utah.
Guthrie served as an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards from 2021-2024. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz.
As the coach of the South Bay Lakers, Guthrie will likely be coaching Bronny, who was a second-round pick by the Lakers. Other possible South Bay Lakers players include Maxwell Lewis and Jalen Hood-Schifino, who were rookies last year. Dalton Knecht, who was a first-round pick this year, could also end up spending some time in the G League for the Lakers.
