Shocking Secrets: What Really Drove Jerry West Away from the Lakers!

Shocking Secrets: What Really Drove Jerry West Away from the Lakers!

Jerry West, a former professional basketball player, died at the age of 86 on June 12, 2024. The sportsman ended his great NBA career. For eight decades, he won multiple championships, served as general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers during the legendary Showtime era, and even inspired the NBA’s logo.
He has spent the majority of his career with the Lakers, serving as a player, coach, and general manager. Fans wondered why Jerry West departed the Lakers after leading them to victory in 2002. This is what we know.
After leading the United States Olympic Team to gold at the Olympic Games in Rome, he was drafted by the now-defunct Minneapolis Lakers (later known as the Los Angeles Lakers). Although the team went on to lose the most of its title games, Jerry’s abilities were so amazing that he was dubbed “Finals MVP.” He was also known as Mr. Clutch for making critical plays during important games. Jerry would have to wait a decade to win a title, but he never gave up hope.

This occurred against the Knicks, who lost the first game but then won the following four in a row. Jerry contributed to the team’s nine NBA finals appearances over his 14-year career. After retiring from basketball in 1974, the 36-year-old was eager to return. In 1976, he was named the Lakers’ head coach. When he was named general manager in the 1980s, he contributed to the team’s overall success.

Jerry has been credited with constructing the ideal team that would dominate the floor. For example, he signed Shaquille O’Neal as a free agent and dealt centre Vlade Divac for Kobe Bryant. This paved the way for them to win three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002.

Jerry left the Lakers in 2002 to join the Memphis Grizzlies. This came as a surprise given his great tenure with the franchise. At the time, it was assumed that he desired a new challenge, and that forming a new squad from start would provide him with one. However, the Lakers must have been upset, as they reportedly refused to rehire him in 2017. There are also allegations that they withdrew his season tickets.
Jerry went on to express his disappointment with the team’s lack of respect. “One disappointing thing [about my career] is that my relationship with the Lakers is horrible,” Jerry stated in a 2022 interview with The Athletic, according to The New York Times. “I’m still not sure why. And at the end of the day, when I look back, I think, ‘Well, maybe I should have played somewhere else instead of with the Lakers, where someone would have appreciated how much you gave, how much you cared,'” he said.