Jerry West and the Burden of Being the Logo

Getty Images/Ringer illustration Mr. Clutch was such a defining figure in NBA history the league made him its symbol, but the Hall of Famer could never escape the pressure that came with being the standard for excellence I first met Jerry West in the summer of 1997, as a young, sorta shy, possibly in-over-my-head rookie beat writer assigned to cover the Lakers for the L.A. Daily News. I knew his résumé, the championships won (and lost), the clutch shots he'd hit, the contenders he'd constructed. But I don't think I really understood the man until three summers later. It was June 20, 2000, the morning after Kobe Bryant had leaped into Shaquille O'Neal's arms, purple and gold confetti fluttering around them, in celebration of their first NBA championship. It had been 12 years since the franchise raised a banner. Four years since West brought the two stars to L.A., at considerable risk. Now his vision of a Lakers renaissance was a reality. The whole city was giddy, aglow, euphoric. Everyone except the architect who made it all possible. I found West in his dimly lit office at Lakers headquarters, sitting at his desk. He welcomed me in and agreed to answer a few...