The NBA is honoring the memory of Jerry West in this year’s Summer League, revealing a courtside seat reserved for the iconic Los Angeles Lakers point guard and longtime face of the league. West, one of the greatest players in NBA history and the basis for the league’s logo, died last month at the age of 86.
Along the baseline of the Thomas & Mack Arena in Las Vegas, a special seat was designated for West with a T-shirt bearing his likeness and declaring him as “The soul of the summer league,” while also featuring ice cream from Dairy Queen — his personal favorite summer league treat. West was a frequent fixture at the Summer League as part of his work as an NBA executive for multiple teams.
The start of the Summer League on Friday opened with a video tribute to West, as well as remarks on his life and legacy in professional basketball.
“Jerry West, for all his accolades, accomplishments, and becoming larger than even the life he imagined for himself, was never finished searching,” ESPN and Sacramento Kings broadcaster Mark Jones said. “His commitment to getting better at life and to embracing the next horizon is something very much worth remembering and celebrating, as we are right now.”
West’s courtside seat is the latest in a series of tributes that have been paid to him since his passing a month ago. He is set to be posthumously inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for a record third time, this time for his role as a contributor to the game after his career as a general manager and a consultant for several teams.
