‘One Of The Sport’s Most Notable Icons’: Joe Manchin Honors Late NBA Legend Jerry West

4 months ago

During Senate floor remarks prior to the Congressional recess, Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) honored the life of late basketball player Jerry West.

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00:00referred to as one of the greatest American basketball players of all time.

00:03His career led him to success, joining the greats in stadiums across America,

00:08far from his hometown in the Mountain State of West Virginia. Born in Cheyenne

00:13in 1938, Jerry spent the beginning of his life in a small town in southern West

00:18Virginia. He faced many health and family challenges as a young boy, but he spent a

00:22lot of time shooting hoops in his backyard. At East Bank High School, he

00:27began educating himself on the ins and outs of the sport he loved. Jerry

00:33quickly began to excel in the game as the star of his beloved high school team.

00:37His jump shot was always his trademark, and it allowed him to stand out even as

00:42a young player. Jerry attended West Virginia University, where his already

00:47well-developed skills and unyielding consistency were notable characteristics

00:51of his playing ability. He consistently averaged double digits in points,

00:55rebounds, and assists in almost every major game. One personal story I can

01:01tell you is a ten-year-old boy in 1957, my mother took me, she loved basketball

01:07and loved to go to Mountaineer games, she took me to a game as a small boy, and she

01:12says, now you watch that little number 44, that little skinny guy over there, he

01:16really can move the ball well. He's at a very good delivery. I think he might be

01:19something. That was my mother, and I remember that to this day. In the 1960

01:26Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal as co-captain of the U.S. men's basketball

01:29team. Following his second overall selection in the NBA draft of the same

01:34year by the Minneapolis Lakers, Jerry continued to be a powerhouse on the

01:39court as the team moved to Los Angeles. Mr. Clutch, as he was known, sank a

01:45staggering number of winning baskets from both the field and free

01:48throw line. With his signature jump shot extending 16 inches above the

01:55rim, his defense as well as offense was solid, but often it was his work ethic

02:00that was the envy of his teammates. One of the reasons that Jerry was so

02:04successful is that he was never one to back down from a challenge. Like all of

02:09us, he experienced setbacks in life, which weren't always met with victory. Those

02:13are the types of situations where a person's true character will show

02:17through. He always believed that hard work, dedication, and perseverance will

02:22get you where you need to be, win or lose. With Jerry's leadership on the court, the

02:27Lakers continued to rise through the ranks. In the subsequent seasons, he

02:31racked up a staggering number of notable accomplishments. During his 14 years with

02:36the Los Angeles Lakers, he was voted 12 times to the All-NBA first and second

02:41teams, elected to the NBA All-Star team 14 times, and continues to hold the NBA

02:47record for highest average points in playoff series. At the time of his

02:53retirement as a player in 1974, he had scored more points than any other Los

02:58Angeles Laker in franchise history. Jerry capped his momentous career

03:04with two enshrinements in the Nazareth Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a

03:08player. He is scheduled to be added a third time this fall as a contributor

03:12for his work as an executive and consultant. His innate talent shined

03:18through both on and off the court. He continued with the Lakers, coaching for a

03:23short time, leading them to three playoffs in a conference final. Shortly

03:27after his long-standing presence with the Lakers, he continued as an

03:32executive with them. Many looked to him for direction on how the game of

03:36basketball should evolve. The franchise continued to bypass others, which quite

03:42literally defined the sports throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s. He set the team up

03:48to sign and retain some of the most celebrated names in basketball history,

03:52helping him to earn his notoriety with the NBA community that still continues

03:58to this day. With the skill to take whatever team he was with to new heights,

04:04Jerry worked with the Grizzlies, the Warriors, and the Clippers to improve

04:08their stagnant franchises. The teams would not be what they are today without his

04:12guidance. When you think of basketball, you think of Jerry West, one of the

04:17sport's most notable icons. It is only fitting that his legacy has been forever

04:22commemorated in the NBA logo. From his skills on the court to his unrivaled

04:29knowledge of the game, from all perspectives, he continued to have a

04:33lasting impact on the sports world. His thoughts were models for how to manage

04:39success, failure, and change. Those all happen in life. How to take the lessons

04:46you've learned, adapt them, and go on to improve the world around you, which is

04:50what Jerry did every day. I'm honored to have been president at the Oval Office

04:55of the White House when Jerry was awarded the Presidential Medal of

04:59Freedom in 2019. I can only begin to imagine how many leaders Jerry forged

05:05throughout his time and how many of his former teammates and colleagues still

05:09look up to him to this day. In that spirit, I am forever grateful to Jerry

05:15for his commitment to the sports community as well as our shared passion

05:19for representing the people of the state that we both love so much, West Virginia.

05:23With God-given talent and unmatched character, Jerry's life has benefited the

05:28people of our home state in a profound way. The legacy that he leaves behind is

05:33undoubtedly an integral part of our heritage. He was a very dear friend to me

05:38and a proud ambassador of the Mountain State. From the coalfields of West

05:42Virginia to basketball's biggest stages, Jerry always demonstrated his mastery of

05:48the sport with grace and humility. It is my hope that his family and friends can

05:53find peace, strength, and comfort in one another during the loss of this wonderful

05:59person. Gail and I offer our deepest condolences to his wife Karen, his sons

06:04David and Michael, Mark, Ryan, and Johnny, and all of his family friends and all of

06:10the loved ones who loved him so dearly. We will forever keep Jerry and his

06:15remarkable legacy in our thoughts and prayers for the rest of our

06:19lives. God bless you, Jerry.

‘One Of The Sport’s Most Notable Icons’: Joe Manchin Honors Late NBA Legend Jerry West

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