LOS ANGELES (AP) - Since 1969, Jerry West has been the faceless face of the NBA.
Jerry West was the inspiration for the NBA logo, but he was conflicted about the honor
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Since 1969, Jerry West has been the faceless face of the NBA.
For those 5 1/2 decades, the NBA’s logo has been a blank white silhouette of a player flanked by panels of blue and red. The player is dynamically dribbling a ball upcourt, seemingly ready to drive or to pass with flair.
By now, just about everybody knows the iconic silhouette belongs to West, the Los Angeles Lakers guard who died Wednesday at 86. Friends and fans alike often referred to West as "The Logo,” even if the basketball icon himself felt decidedly uncomfortable about the nickname and the honor.
But West was one of the most exciting players of that era, a high-scoring guard and a playmaker who epitomized basketball’s ideal combination of athleticism and skill in a thrilling sport that this once-secondary professional league would soon spread across the globe.