(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
While everyone associated with the NBA respected the late Jerry West, some people were lucky enough to actually get to know him.
One of those people was Paul Pierce, who spoke about his experiences with West on Wednesday’s episode of “Undisputed.”
Pierce shared that West once told him the Lakers attempted to trade for him on draft night in 1998.
Of course, that didn’t work out and Pierce started his career with LA’s biggest rivals, the Boston Celtics.
Pierce said that Wednesday was a “sad day in the NBA family” because of West’s passing.
.@PaulPierce34 remembers NBA legend and “The Logo” Jerry West
“It’s a sad day in the NBA family.” pic.twitter.com/6xgIEPDQOS
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) June 12, 2024
Pierce made the touching comment that West will live on forever because he is the current NBA logo.
As long as the NBA is around, West’s legacy and memory will continue to shine brightly.
Pierce told another story that surely amused fans of both the Lakers and Celtics.
He said he was backstage at the NBA 75th Anniversary Team ceremony, chatting with Kevin Garnett and Kevin McHale.
West approached the group and said, “Damn, look at all these damn Celtics.”
Of course, during his 14 years playing in the NBA, West repeatedly went toe-to-toe with the Celtics, making them the Lakers’ biggest opponent and creating an iconic rivalry.
Even though West was never a Celtics fan, he was clearly someone who admired Pierce.
And even though Pierce never played for the Lakers, he understands all West did for the game of basketball and the NBA.
Regardless of rivalries and attempted trades, these two men greatly respected one another.
West is one of those rare NBA stars who transcends just one team.
Instead, he quite literally represented the league in many ways, including with his silhouette on the NBA logo.
From Celtics legends to NBA fans from past and present, everyone is remembering West and what he did for the league.
The post Paul Pierce Reacts To The Passing Of Jerry West appeared first on The Cold Wire.