West honored during WVU's loss to LSU
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Basketball legend Jerry West lowered his head and never looked up into the stands when entering or leaving the hardwood during his West Virginia playing days.
He was too shy.
"I've always been kind of quiet and a little bit of a loner, and that's my fault," West said. "I've always believed I'm just like everybody else. It's always been important to me to let people know you're not looking down on them."
This time as he entered the floor, West looked up. He saw 11,044 fans standing and applauding as his No. 44 jersey was retired.
West was honored at halftime of West Virginia's 71-68 overtime loss to LSU Saturday at the Coliseum.
"Everytime I wore that uniform I felt something really special," West said. "When I competed and wore that number, I competed for the state and for the people, not just for the university."
West, the most famous athlete ever to wear Mountaineers' gold and blue, put up numbers that still stand as team records 35 years later. No shooter has come closer than 450 points to his 2,309 career points. Nobody has come within 170 rebounds of his 1,240 career rebounds.
No West Virginia basketball player has worn his number in 35 years.
West said it was an honor that it never will be worn again.
"I'm forever grateful," he said. "I've led a storybook life, and this university has been half of it. I'm not sure I ever would have accomplished anything in my life without this university."
West, 67, a Chelyan, W.Va. native, established 17 West Virginia records and led the Mountaineers to a 61-12 record and three NCAA berths from 1958-60.
"I just loved to compete, I loved it," West said. "Before a game it was like my body felt plugged in and everything was getting brighter, brighter, brighter."
West's 1959 team came within two points of winning the national championship, losing to California, 71-70.
"That was by far my saddest moment here," West said. "I had the ball in my hands at midcourt and couldn't get a shot off against California."
West entered the NBA in 1961 and played in 14 all-star games as a Los Angeles Laker. He won league most valuable player honors in 1972, led the league in scoring (31.2 points per game) in 1970 and once held the NBA record with 3,708 playoff points.
After leading the Lakers to the 1972 NBA championship as a player, West did it five more times in the 1980s as Lakers president.
He was elected to the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979 and the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.
West came out of retirement in 2002 to serve as Memphis Grizzlies general manager.
West, who often felt nervous before playing in some of the NBA's greatest finals against the Boston Celtics, feels more at ease talking to youth groups.
"I've discovered in my life that if you can influence one kid to do something positive, that's the greatest thing you can accomplish," West said. "I tell kids to have goals because more than anything else they give you energy and enthusiasm," West said. "Without energy and enthusiasm, you can't play sports."
West Virginia athletic director Ed Pastilong said a statue of West from his playing days will be constructed in front of the Coliseum thanks to a contribution from Grizzlies owner Michael E. Heisley. Construction of the project will begin next spring.
