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The Golden State Warriors unveiled a court decal they’ll place on the Chase Center floor to honor NBA legend Jerry West.
West joined Golden State’s front office in May 2011 and was with the organization as it embarked on a dynastic run spurred by homegrown talents Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. He left after the Warriors’ 2017 Finals triumph.
West, who died at the age of 86 in June, was a 14-time All-Star, a 12-time All-NBA honoree and the 1969 Finals MVP. What he achieved as an executive might actually surpass what he did as a player, though.
West was the architect of the Showtime-era Los Angeles Lakers and laid the groundwork for their next dominant period by signing Shaquille O’Neal, picking Kobe Bryant in the 1996 NBA draft, and hiring head coach Phil Jackson.
As general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies, West won Executive of the Year for 2003-04 and was ultimately vindicated for what looked like a sweetheart deal with his old team. Nobody knew Marc Gasol, who was traded as part of the package for older brother Pau, would become a three-time All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year.
The Warriors already had Curry by the time West arrived, but Thompson and Green were both draft picks made when he was part of the front office. He saw something particularly special in Thompson.
The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami wrote about how West “urged” Golden State to select the 6’6″ sharpshooter in the 2011 draft and then “threatened to quit” if the Warriors decided to swap Thompson for Kevin Love when the idea was at least on the table in 2014-15.
Green also credited West with providing constructive criticism and advice to Warriors players, which helped get them to a level where they’d win four titles in eight years.
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