Lakers to pay tribute to NBA great in 2024-25 season

In the past, the NBA has been quick to honor the legacy of former players by retiring them and inducting them into the Hall of Fame. There are also patches on team jerseys that are typically reserved for honoring deceased players.

The Lakers are planning to honor another player this season. According to a September 10 post on the team’s website social media accountsthis time it will be Hall of Fame member Jerry West, who is famous for wearing number 44 in Los Angeles during the 14 seasons he played for the organization.

West was one of the most productive players of his time, but his management career after retiring may have surpassed anything he did on the pitch.

During his career as an executive, West won eight championships. In the years since his career ended and even earlier this year, he has spent time with the Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers. West even coached his former team for three seasons before moving into an executive role.

Considering all of West’s accomplishments, it goes without saying that the purple and gold team would honor him by wearing the number 44 on their jerseys for the upcoming campaign.

West did not have an executive role with the Lakers during their last championship in 2020, but he has had a hand in seven of their 17 NBA championships, making him one of the most decorated figures in team history.

The closest the Lakers have come to a championship since the pandemic Season 2022-23when Los Angeles ultimately lost in four games to the eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. The Last SeasonThe Nuggets missed out on a playoff spot for the second straight year, but this time it came in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

As the upcoming season approaches, with LeBron James’ Hall of Fame career inching closer to the finish line, the Lakers have a tough task ahead of them if they want to compete for an 18th Larry O’Brien trophy.

The Western Conference is filled with more title contenders than ever before, with teams like the Timberwolves, Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns all poised to take a shot at dethroning the Celtics.

Regardless of what the Lakers accomplish this season in terms of results or in the postseason, West’s legacy will live on every night Los Angeles plays this year.