Getty Jerry West at the 2017 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.
Jerry West is one of the greatest players in Los Angeles Lakers history. The Logo is first in franchise history in offensive win shares, second in points, third in assists, third in points per game and third in field goals.
West made 14 All-Star teams with the Lakers and won the 1972 championship. However, he apparently doesn’t have a good relationship with the franchise anymore.
West: ‘My Relationship with the Lakers Is Horrible’
West, who was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, told Sam Amick of The Athletic that he has a “horrible” relationship with the Lakers. The Los Angeles Clippers‘ consultant is so upset that he wishes he could go back in time and not play for the LakeShow.
“One disappointing thing (about my career) is that my relationship with the Lakers is horrible,” West said. “I still don’t know why. And at the end of the day, when I look back, I say, ‘Well, maybe I should have played somewhere else instead of with the Lakers, where someone would have at least appreciated how much you give, how much you cared.'”
West was an executive with the Lakers from 1982 to 2000. In the summer of 2017, he wanted to come back to the purple and gold after leaving the Golden State Warriors. However, the Lakers showed no interest in bringing him aboard and the Hall of Famer joined the Clippers instead.
Since he’s a Lakers icon, West is pleased when the franchise plays well. However, he doesn’t appreciate how the organization has treated him and his family “like a piece of trash.”
Lakers Repealed West’s Lifetime Season Tickets
West’s wife, Karen, received a text message from the Lakers during the 2020-21 season informing her that the family’s lifetime season ticket seats would no longer be granted. That made the Lakers legend furious since the late Dr. Buss gave him those lifetime tickets before he passed away.
“It was a cold phone text to my wife,” West said. “No one had the nerve to call me, but that’s how petty they are, OK? And I love the Lakers, OK? I love to see them do well. It’s great for basketball. I’m proud of everything that happened when I was there. I’m proud of everything that happened when I wasn’t there — the positives.
“But sometimes you feel like you’re discarded, like a piece of trash. And there’s a couple of people over there — not Jeanie — but there’s a couple of people over there that, uh … I don’t get it. I don’t. … I always had a great relationship with Jeanie — at least I thought I did. I don’t know where it is now.”
West averaged 27.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists with the Lakers. He has a bronze statue at Crypto.com Arena and is the only player in NBA history to win Finals MVP while playing for the losing team. However, for whatever reason, the Lakers aren’t treating him with the respect he deserves and it’s certainly bizarre.
West got a little bit of revenge against the Lakers in the summer of 2019 when his Clippers signed Kawhi Leonard in free agency. The two-time Finals MVP was interested in teaming up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but he chose to sign with the Clippers.
Of course, the Lakers got the last laugh by winning the 2020 championship at the Walt Disney World bubble, but it’s still undoubtedly strange to see West compete against the franchise he once starred for.