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During your childhood, what do you recall Jerry (West) saying about Kobe (Bryant)’s pre-draft workout? Jonnie West: “That summer was pretty crazy, in general. Ryan and Kobe were a few months apart. I was eight at that time. Ryan was a lot closer to it. But I remember the excitement that my Dad had after a couple of workouts even before the reality that he would ever become a Laker. My Dad became obsessed with finding a way to get this done. He started at the top of the draft and then went all the way trying to find something that could work. It didn’t happen until the 13 pick. There were some roadblocks along the way that they navigated around, and Kobe made it to 13.”
Jonnie West: “He actually ended up in the hospital after all the stuff with Shaq and going through that. He ended up in the hospital for a few days because of exhaustion. But getting those two transactions in one summer was impressive. Obviously, one was a known thing. At the time, Shaq was a multiple-time All-Star at that point even though he was still young. Kobe was a project. But one of the things about my Dad that has always stuck with me was his conviction. He was dead set on Kobe, and that he was going to be great.”
You mentioned in the documentary that Jerry is often misunderstood. What examples come to mind? Jonnie West: “When I say ‘misunderstood,’ the people that know him on a personal level see who he really is. He was this insanely competitive person that at times was not very healthy. But it’s what made him as a player and what made him as a GM. But he had such a level of compassion and caring for people. The thing that he loved the most was helping people. That can mean taking time just talking to somebody, mentoring somebody or financially helping somebody. That was the thing that drove him. It was the mentoring side of him. “
Brandon Rahbar: SGA on Jerry West, who the Clutch Player of the Year is named after: "He always believed in me from the jump. Having a guy like that believes in you really gives you a push in the back.. I always kept that in the back of my mind." SGA says Jerry wrote a letter to him after his rookie season and he still has it to this day.
NBA Communications: Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named the 2025-26 Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year, earning the Jerry West Trophy.
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NBA History: Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown record their 50th playoff game both scoring 20+ PTS, becoming the 8th duo to reach the mark. They join Larry Bird & Kevin McHale as the only Celtics duos to do so. The other duos: 74 - Jerry West & Elgin Baylor; 68 - Scottie Pippen & Michael Jordan; 67 - Shaquille O'Neal & Kobe Bryant; 58 - Kevin McHale & Larry Bird; 56 - Russell Westbrook & Kevin Durant; 53 - Klay Thompson & Stephen Curry; 50 - Tony Parker & Tim Duncan.
James Worthy: At the premiere of Jerry West “The Logo” documentary w @kaj33 @StephenCurry30 #MitchKupchak #jerrywest @PrimeVideo
At the premiere of Jerry West “The Logo” documentary w @kaj33 @StephenCurry30 #MitchKupchak #jerrywest @PrimeVideo pic.twitter.com/WXLzVXUcRq
— James Worthy (@JamesWorthy42) April 14, 2026
Dan Woike: List of NBA players to score at least 600 points in a single month • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar • Rick Barry • Walt Bellamy • Elgin Baylor • Wilt Chamberlain • Luka Dončić • James Harden • Michael Jordan • Oscar Robertson • Jerry West
Prime Video announced an April 16 premiere date and released the official key art for Jerry West: The Logo, a feature-length documentary, from Propagate and Khalabo Ink Society, that traces the life and career of NBA icon Jerry West, whose lifelong pursuit of winning was paved in sacrifice and loss. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Kenya Barris in his documentary debut, Jerry West: The Logo will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Through dozens of never-before-told stories shared by friends, family members, teammates, and colleagues—including insights from former and current NBA stars Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and Shaquille O’Neal, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, and West’s own wife and several of his children—Jerry West: The Logo paints a complex portrait of a man driven by perfectionism.
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Jorge Sierra: Best scoring average on Christmas games (minimum: five games) Joel Embiid: 30.40 ppg Oscar Robertson 31.42 ppg Wilt Chamberlain: 31.67 ppg Jerry West: 32.17 ppg NIKOLA JOKIC: 32.50 ppg Jokic wasn't even Top 10 before this year
Jerry West texted Johnny Wilkes hours before the Clippers' July 2019 meeting with Kawhi Leonard to express gratitude. The messages provide insight into the informal negotiations that preceded Leonard's decision. "Just wanted to thank you for your help," West wrote, according to messages viewed by The Washington Post. Wilkes responded with advice for the pitch meeting: "Please tell everyone to pitch life after basketball to Kawhi. That's what he really wants to hear." West criticized the Lakers' pitch to Leonard in messages with Wilkes and suggested Leonard would play second fiddle to LeBron James in Los Angeles. "If he would go to the Lakers, he would be LeBron's caddy," West wrote. "F--- the Lakers," Wilkes responded. "This is between you and Toronto."
"When can we expect a decision," West asked. "Don't want to be a pest and frankly don't want to bother Dennis anymore, if you hear anything please let me know. Thank you for all your help." West relayed updates to owner Steve Ballmer throughout the process. Two days after that exchange, Leonard signed a three-year, $103.14 million contract with the Clippers. The allegations sparked an NBA investigation that concluded the Clippers did not violate league tampering rules. Wilkes said in his deposition he informed Robertson of his payment proposal and offered him a cut.
