Jery allen west biography information

Jerry Allen West, age 81, of Asheboro passed away on Monday, April 29, 2019 at Randolph Health with his family by his side.

Mr. West was born in Randolph County on January 30, 1938 to Theron Baldwin and Pearl Hudson West. He was a 1956 graduate of Asheboro High School where he was a member of the 1954-1955 State Championship Basketball Team. In 2018, Jerry was inducted into the Asheboro High School Sports Hall of Fame. Jerry retired from First National Bank after 41 years of service. For many years, he was a very involved member of First E&R United Church of Christ, where he served as a deacon, elder, and treasurer. He most recently attended Flag Springs United Methodist Church. Jerry will be remembered as a humble and compassionate man who always put others first. He enjoyed coaching youth basketball, football, and baseball and was a huge Duke fan.

He is survived by his wife, Suzanne Culverhouse West; sons, Gregory Allen West and wife Paige of Atlanta, GA and Steven Jerry West of Asheboro; grandchildren, Whitney, Lauren, and Jay West all of Atlanta, GA; great granddaughter, Addison Ogden of Atlanta, GA; and brother, Sidney West of Asheboro.

In addition to his parents, Jerry was preceded in death by his sister, Audrey West Allen.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, May 2, 2019 from 1:00-2:00 pm at Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Avenue in Asheboro. A memorial service will follow on Thursday at 2:00 pm at the Pugh Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Carol Hunter officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Flag Springs United Methodist Church, 5852 Zoo Parkway, Asheboro, NC 27205.

> Archive 75: Jerry West | 75 Stories: Jerry West

Combine a deadly jump shot, tenacious defense, obsessive perfectionism, unabashed confidence, and an uncompromising will to win, and you’ve got Jerry West, one of the greatest guards in NBA history.

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’s statistical record only begins to tell his story. When the chips were down, West, with his lightning-quick release, was the guy the Lakers turned to for the big basket. Many players have been tagged with the nickname “Mr. Clutch,” but none of them lived up to it as well as West did. He was responsible for perhaps the most famous buzzer-beater of all time: a 60-foot swish that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.

West was motivated by a relentless drive to succeed. Years after a game in which he hit 16 of 17 shots from the field, sank all 12 free throw attempts, and notched 12 rebounds, 12 assists and 10 blocked shots, West told the National Sports Daily, “Defensively, from a team standpoint, I didn’t feel I played very well. Very rarely was I satisfied with how I played.” This obsessive quest for perfection was a constant during West’s playing years, and it continued in his later roles as coach and general manager of the Lakers and in similar front-office roles he held with the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and LA Clippers.

Since 1975, the “Pride of West Virginia” moniker has been bestowed upon the West Virginia University Marching Band. But the true pride of our beloved state — arguably its most famous and acclaimed son — was born 37 years earlier in small Chelyan, W.Va., in Kanawha County.

On May 28, 1938, Jerome Allen West — known in his adult years as “Mr. Clutch,” “The Logo,” “Zeke from Cabin Creek” and more — came into this world, and over the ensuing 86 years he made just about every Mountaineer proud.

West died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles with his wife by his side. He was 86.

From his prep playing days at East Bank High School to his stellar college career at the Field House at WVU to his time as a player, coach and executive with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers, West — a three-time basketball Hall of Famer including as a member of the 1960 Team USA gold medal championship basketball squad — truly made his home state proud.

Consider these reactions Wednesday from state leaders and others:

“Gayle and I are devastated to learn of the passing of our dear, dear friend, Jerry West. When you think of basketball, you think of Jerry West, and it is only fitting his legacy has been forever commemorated in the organization’s logo,” said Sen. Joe Manchin. “Jerry was a pillar of West Virginia culture and never forgot his roots. To his core, Jerry was a West Virginian with an unbeatable work ethic and resilience like no other. He was a great friend and a world-class representative for both the NBA and for West Virginia.”

From Sen. Shelley Moore Capito: “Jerry West will forever be a West Virginia icon. A native of Chelyan in Kanawha County, Jerry made West Virginia incredibly proud through his continued contributions to our state and the game of basketball.”

This from Wren Baker, WVU’s director of athletics: “Today is one of the saddest days ever for West Vir

American basketball player and executive (1938–2024)

This article is about the basketball player. For the children's author, see Jerry West (author).

Jerry Alan West (May 28, 1938 – June 12, 2024) was an American basketball player and executive. He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His nicknames included "the Logo", in reference to his silhouette being the basis for the NBA logo; "Mr. Clutch", for his ability to make a big play in a key situation such as his famous buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks; "Mr. Outside", in reference to his perimeter play with the Lakers and "Zeke from Cabin Creek" for the creek near his birthplace of Chelyan, West Virginia.

West played college basketball for the West Virginia Mountaineers, leading them to the 1959 NCAA championship game. He earned the NCAA Final Four Most Outstandi