Jerry West

It all began when Jerry was drafted by the Lakers in the 1960 draft and spent his entire 14 year career with the Lakers and despite playing most of his career alongside the great Elgin Baylor still frequently averaged more than 30 PPG in a season. He led the league in scoring in the 1969-1970 season but was also a great playmaker leading the leauge in assist in the 1971-1972 season. The steals statistic was not kept in the NBA until West's final NBA season, during that season West was the first ever to record 10 steals in a game, he is still the only Laker to ever reach that mark. Heralded as one of the most legendary clutch shooters in the NBA's history and got the title known as 'Mr. Clutch', West averaged 29.1 points per game in 153 playoff games, including 40.6 in 11 playoff games in 1965, in 1969 he became the only losing player to win the NBA Finals MVP award. West played in nine NBA Finals, but finished his career with only one championship, won in the 1971-1972 season, the year the Lakers established a modern North American professional sports record of 33 straight wins. He retired two years later, after leading the Lakers to yet another Pacific Division title in the 1973-74 season — this, in spite of the loss of legendary center Wilt Chamberlain to retirement. As a testimony to West's on-court leadership and presence, the Lakers fell to the Pacific Division cellar the year after he retired, posting a 30-52 record. West later became a coach who carried the Lakers into the playoffs in his three seasons 1976-1979, after which he was hired as an executive for the club in various positions.When he retired, West had scored 25,192 points, averaged 27.0 points per game (the forth highest career average in NBA history), and made 7,160 free throws and 6,238 assists. During his career, West was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team four times (the NBA All-Defensive Team did not exist until West's ninth season), to the All-NBA First Team 10 times, and played in the All-Star Game 13 times. West was named the All-Star Game MVP in 1972. He remains the only player ever to be named NBA Finals MVP when on a losing team. He accomplished this in the 1969 NBA Finals against Boston, the first year the award was given. In 1980 he was named to the NBA's 35th Anniversary All-Time Team and in 1996 was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Jerry West's success did not stop as a player though as his brilliant mind was still sought by the Lakers. In 1982 Jerry West became the General Manager of the Lakers and is credited for making smart decisive moves and trades to keep the Lakers as one of the elite teams in the NBA from the 80's until he left and headed to Vancouver as GM for the Grizzlies in 2002.