History’s Most Underrated Star
How is it possible for a player to be considered among the Top 10 players ever, have the NBA’s very logo designed after his silhouette, and still be undervalued? The answer to that conundrum lies with Jerry West, who in this writer’s opinion was the greatest player of all-time not named Michael Jordan.
Jerry West is universally respected and widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball player ever. Experts and casual fans alike agree that the former Los Angeles Laker was one of the best talents to ever play the game. In the years since his retirement he has received numerous honours that stand as a testament to his talent and success, from being named to the NBA Top 50 Team to his 1980 enshrinement in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Yet West’s career holds a paradoxical quality: while he is at once revered and celebrated as having a career of the very highest merit, it is still somehow reasonable and unembellished to suggest that he may too be one of the most underrated player in NBA history.
Most NBA fans remember West for his time as an executive, specifically for his instrumental role in crafting the Showtime and Shaq-Era Lakers. Though he was perhaps the most successful GM in league history, the man known as “Mr. Clutch” was without question the preeminent guard of his era. With 25,192 career points and a career scoring average of 27.0ppg, West was an offensive wonder (though with 5,366 rebounds and 6,238 assist for his career he was by no means one-dimensional). He spent the entirety of his 14-year career in Los Angeles with the Lakers, a path that saw him named an All-Star every year of his career as well as being a 12-time All-NBA selection (10 consecutive First Teams). With nine Finals appearances, a Finals MVP, a gold medal, and an All-Star MVP, the West Virginia native had one of the most decorated career in league history.
But today we tend to forget his accomplishments on the hardwood in favour of those in the boardroom. He seems to be mentioned most often as having achieved a level that is not on par with Bird and Magic, or even Oscar and Wilt, a misnomer that should not be allowed to continue.
Indisputably the best player in West Virginia school history, his legacy and overall reputation took root thanks to a Mountaineer career that saw him become one of the greatest collegiate players ever. Before arriving at West Virginia in 1956, West attended East Bank High School where he was a three-time All-State selection and a Senior All-American after averaging over 32 points per game his final year en route to a state title.
He became nationally renowned in his Sophomore by scoring 17.8 points while grabbing 11.1 rebounds and shooting 49.6% from the floor. This distinguished play only improved during his Junior campaign, where West achieved new levels of acclaim and notoriety as a consensus All-American via averaging 26.6 points and 12.3 rebounds a game.
West brought the Mountaineers onto the national stage and was celebrated for catapulting them into the 1958 NCAA Finals. Though they lost, West’s play proved enough to capture the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award.
His Senior season in Morgantown brought only more success (29.3 points and 16.5 rebounds) and another consensus All-American selection.
For his collegiate career, West totaled 2,309 points and 1,240 rebounds. West’s run to the NCAA Finals was also the only title appearance in school history. For perspective on just how exceptional his college achievements were, consider this: almost 50 years after he ended his career in West Virginia, he still holds the career-school records for most points scored, most points per game, most field goals made, most free throws made, most free throws attempted, most rebounds, most double-doubles, most 20-point games, and most 30-point games.
It is this level of sustained brilliance and sheer dominance that elevates West’s name to the near-top of any list of great collegiate players. He dominated college in ways Jordan and Chamberlain did not, and belongs every bit in the upper echelon of the college game’s folklore with Lew Alcindor, Bill Walton, Pete Maravich, and Oscar Robertson, whom he co-captained the American team with to Gold at the 1960 Rome Olympics.
Though his time as a Mountaineer was brilliant, his mastery was far from done.
West was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the second overall pick in the 1960 Draft. He proceeded to set the league on fire offensively for the rest of the decade and beyond. He successfully averaged more than 30 points per game four times, more than anyone other than Jordan or Chamberlain. Though Chamberlain’s god-like scoring displays meant he was not the sole offensive wizard of his time, he was undoubtedly its most lethal weapon at the guard position. He would even surpass Wilt to lead the league in scoring during the 1969-70 season, thanks in large part to his precision long-range jumper.
Many historians speculate that if there had been a three-point line during West’s era that there is no telling how different the record books might look, as his proficiency and consistency from distance was universally feared throughout his career. It is no unreasonable to estimate that West’s career numbers would have been several points higher per game (and thus ahead of Michael Jordan’s career mark) had the three pointer been used, as he often shot from beyond 25 feet.
Beyond his jump shot, it was West’s tough defense (a four time All-Defense selection despite the NBA not introducing the honour until his ninth year) that made him such a complete player. He became only the third player in NBA history to reach 25,000 points and played in nine NBA Finals, including leading the 1971-72 Lakers to a then-record 69 wins including a still-unfathomably 33 straight.
He is remembered along with the likes of Jordan, Reggie Miller, and Kobe Bryant as one of the most legendary clutch shooters in the NBA’s history. Indeed, when it mattered most, West performed his best, averaging 29.1 a game in 153 playoff appearances (highlighted by an insane 40.5ppg in the ’65 postseason).
If there is a blemish on West’s resume, it is that he finished his career with only one championship, won in the aforementioned ‘72 season. He had the misfortune of playing against the Russell-Era Celtics in numerous NBA Finals, and as a result walked away from the championship round empty-handed eight times. His team’s failings could never be blamed on West directly, as his scoring and rebounding improved during the post-season throughout his career. Instead, it was merely the cohesive unit of the Celtics and their ability to play as one that would confound the Lakers.
A memorable moment in NBA Finals lore also encapsulates West’s setbacks. In Game 3 of the 1970 Finals against the Knicks, West hit a 60-footer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime (again, there were no threes at this time). Despite West’s heroics, the Knicks still won the game and ultimately the series. Later in Game 7 of the 1969 Finals, West scored 42 points, collected 12 assists, and pulled in 13 rebounds, only to still lose to Russell and the Celtics. That year he also received acknowledgment that is a fitting tribute to his lasting excellence and unique past in the game’s history: he became the only losing player to ever win the NBA Finals MVP award.
It is easy for us today to forget West’s contribution to the game as a player. It is a tribute to his amazing success during his post-playing career as a GM and coach that these roles resonate more with us when we think of him. While this is proof that he found success after retiring, to remember only this betrays his contribution to the sport first as one of its greatest players. He propelled the game forward by inspiring the youth that saw his greatness first-hand; that he can be so esteemed and yet still seems under emphasized is a powerful anomaly.
Shooting guards that followed him (most notably Michael Jordan and Julius Erving) might have soared higher, run faster, and been flashier, but it is unlikely that they played the game any better than Jerry West.
Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media
This article was written by:
Trevor Smith - who has written 38 posts on Hoops Addict.
Trevor Smith is a management consultant living in Toronto, Ontario. He currently writes for HoopsAddict.com, and previously worked for NBA Cares. He is a graduate of Queen's University.
Comments
By TexRedun on July 6th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
A great article on a great basketball player.
By Dennis Hans on July 7th, 2008 at 10:22 am
While I’m a big admirer of Jerry West and agree with many of Trevor’s observations, there are two errors, including one of omission. West (unlike another Jerry, Lucas) rarely shot from 3-point range. Aside from end-of-quarter heaves, I doubt if he took a dozen attempts from current-day trey territory in his entire career. He stayed within his range (20 feet and in) because of another amazing attribute: He could get his shot off at anytime against anybody.
The omission is Jerry’s defense. He was one of the greatest defenders of his era, and no one had quicker hands.
By khandor on July 7th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
At one time, Jerry West epitomized what the NBA was all about.
It’s a shame that today’s game … despite the terrific improvements which have been made … doesn’t include more of Mr. Logo brought to the table every single game.
It was a treat to watch Mr. Clutch perform his magic on the hardwood and construct the fabulous Lakers team he was responsible for building.
By Trev Smith on July 9th, 2008 at 12:33 am
Thanks Dennis for pointing out, very correctly, that West did not extend his range beyond 20 feet very often at all. I really just wanted to speculate on what ‘might have been’ had he had the opportunity, as he potentially could have added that weapon to his game. Great point though.
And Khandor says is best: he once epitomized what the league was all about. That is certainly an achievement
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