Jerry West
Jerry West
Jerry Alan Westis an American retired basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. His nicknames include "Mr. Clutch", for his ability to make a big play in a clutch situation, such as his famous buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks; "The Logo", in reference to his silhouette being incorporated into the NBA logo; "Mr. Outside", in reference to...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBasketball Player
Date of Birth28 May 1938
CityCheylan, WV
CountryUnited States of America
You can't imagine how much good luck is involved in winning, but all of a sudden, you get in a situation where every break goes your way, every call goes your way, every ball that rolls around drops in instead of out. It feels magical.
I enjoy winning, but more importantly I enjoy the people I'm around.
You can't ever totally know what's inside of someone else, or see the kind of will someone like Magic has. You have to rely on your instincts to find people who hate losing and know how to win.
The passion to win games, the incredible, focused energy and also the camaraderie of the team were all things that I really loved.
As you get older, every chance to win a championship is more crucial, because you are going to have less and less of them.
The only thing I care about is winning. That's all. If you don't want to win, you don't want to be around me.
I was disappointed if I didn't have a chance to win a game, and if I had the chance and didn't do it...
I've seen a lot in my life. I've seen a lot of winning. I've seen a lot of testing times. I think when you're tested, you really find out what you're made of.
The support this city and our fans have shown the Grizzlies made my decision to stay in Memphis an easy one. Memphis deserves a championship team, and I am committed to that.
I don't know anything else but the Lakers. This has certainly been more than a job for me as a player. It has certainly meant more to me than just an occupation.
It's discouraging for me to come out there and watch the lack of fan support for a good team.
To be candid with you, free agency hurts all sports. It's great for athletes making an enormous amount of money. But to say it helps the sports, I don't believe that.
The trick in writing children's books is to set up danger, mystery and excitement on page one. Force the kid to turn the page . . . Then in the middle of each chapter there's a dramatic point of excitement, and at chapter's end, a cliffhanger.
Basketball came to me and for some reason it gave me an opportunity to live a life that I didn't dream possible. But it did let me live my dreams.