Basketball legend Jerry West has passed away at the age of 86

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It pains me to inform you that Jerry West — Mr. Clutch, aka The Logo — has passed away today. He died peacefully this morning with his wife Karen by his side.

Yes, that second photo is said to be the basis for the NBA logo.

From NBA Commissioner Adam Silver:

West was the legend of all legends in basketball, hitting milestones which the top players in the game could only dream of.

From the NBA’s website:

He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame three times and silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo. He was nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his late-game exploits as a player.

He went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and again as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010. He will be enshrined for a third time later this year as a contributor.

West was general manager of eight NBA championship teams with the Los Angeles Lakers, helping build the “Showtime” dynasty. He also worked in the front offices of the Memphis Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors and the Clippers. Among his many, many highlights as an executive with the Lakers: he drafted Magic Johnson and James Worthy, then brought in Kobe Bryant and eventually Shaquille O’Neal to play alongside Bryant.

During his 14-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers, West became synonymous with brilliant basketball. He was the third player in league history to reach 25,000 points (after Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson). He was an All-Star every year of his career and led Los Angeles to the NBA Finals nine times. He left the game holding records for career postseason scoring and the highest average in a playoff series.

West is responsible for bringing Kobe to the Lakers, and we can’t thank him enough for that.

Interesting little tidbit here as Game 3 of the NBA Finals happens tonight in Dallas:

There’s a reason they called him Mr. Clutch!