"Will truly miss our convos my dear friend" - LeBron James sends heartfelt tribute to Jerry West after NBA legend passes away, aged 86
LA Lakers legend Jerry West passed away on Wednesday morning at the age of 86, sparking widespread tributes across the NBA community. In the wake of the news, future Hall of Famer LeBron James followed it up with a post on social media, paying tribute to Mr. Clutch himself. In it, he wrote about his relationship with the NBA legend, while paying tribute to West.
In a post on the platform formerly known as Twitter, James wrote:
"Will truly miss our convos my dear friend! My thoughts and prayers goes out to your wonderful family! Forever love Jerry! Rest in Paradise my guy!"
NBA community joins LeBron James in paying tribute to Jerry West
Of course, given the situation, LeBron James wasn’t the only member of the NBA community to pay tribute to Hall of Famer Jerry West in the wake of his passing. Fans, analysts, current players, and many of West’s peers all shared their heartfelt condolences.
Following up his original post on the matter, LeBron James followed it up with another post:
“My mentor, My friend! Hopefully I continue to make you proud!. You're already missed!”
Commissioner Adam Silver also paid tribute to West in a lengthy statement which was relayed by Adrian Wojnarowski. In it, the commissioner wrote:
“I valued my friendship with Jerry and the knowledge he shared with me over many years about basketball and life.”
Nic Batum, who got to know West during their shared time with the LA Clippers, also took to social media with his tribute for Mr. Clutch:
"RIP Jerry West, I’ll be always grateful Prayers up"
Hall of Famer and six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan also texted Stephen A. Smith on Wednesday morning with a heartfelt tribute he asked the pundit to read on First Take. In it, he praised West as a friend and mentor, while dubbing the LA legend like his older brother.
While West hadn’t played basketball since 1974, his influence on the game can’t be denied. In addition to his legendary career, West also served as a coach for the LA Lakers, before then transitioning into an executive role. He won eight titles as an executive and earned two NBA Executive of the Year awards. He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019.