In Pictures: Steph Curry pays tribute to Jerry West with montage of pics from NBA legend's Warriors executive days
Following Jerry West's death, Golden State Warriors superstar point guard Steph Curry shared a touching tribute featuring photos of the NBA legend's Warriors executive stint.
West had a Hall of Fame playing career with the LA Lakers. He made an All-Star team in each of his 14 seasons, guiding the franchise to the 1972 NBA championship.
However, West experienced far more title success during his storied executive career, winning eight more championships. Six came with LA (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 2000) during its 1980s and early 2000s dynasties. The other two came with Golden State decades later (2015 and 2017) during the beginning of its 2010s dynasty.
West joined the Warriors as an executive board member in 2011, two years after Curry was drafted. Four years later, the franchise, spearheaded by Curry, won the 2015 championship, marking its first in 40 years. West stayed with Golden State until 2017 when he joined the LA Clippers as a consultant, winning one more title before his departure.
On Thursday, one day after West's death, at age 86, Curry shared a heartfelt message on X/Twitter, highlighting West's basketball legacy. The two-time MVP also shared a series of photos of him and West from the legend's Warriors tenure.
"The Logo. Forever grateful to know him and be in his presence," Curry said. "Helped the entire world of basketball in so many ways and his legacy will live on forever. Thank you. RIP."
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Jerry West foresaw Steph Curry and Klay Thompson's dominance
Throughout his Warriors executive stint, Jerry West was a staunch supporter of Steph Curry and his co-star Klay Thompson's backcourt partnership.
On June 12, 2014, before the duo's first title, West spoke with then-Comcast SportsNet Bay Area's Jim Kozimor about their upside.
"[Curry's] one of the most unique players I've seen in this league, and he's unique in the sense that you look at him, [and] he's not one of these big, strong guys. He's an unbelievable competitor and a great person," West said.
“... We’ve got one of the best backcourts in the league. “[Thompson’s] got size. His defensive play is really underrated, and that’s where he’s come along. And because of his ability to play people at three positions, it tells you how valuable he is. ... Another fantastic kid, and he and Curry fit great together. Should be a backcourt for a long time.”
West was also credited with convincing Golden State not to trade Thompson to the Minnesota Timberwolves for star big man Kevin Love in 2014.
His belief in Curry and Thompson paid off and then some, as the duo won four titles together (2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022) over the next decade. Meanwhile, they established themselves as what most consider the greatest shooting backcourt in NBA history.
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