Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry West dies at 86

The former Los Angeles Lakers player died Wednesday morning with his wife by his side, according to a social media post from the LA Clippers. West played for the Lakers from 1960 to 1974 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1980. He was added to the Hall of Fame again in 2010 as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team. He will be inducted a third time later this year as a contributor, according to a statement from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

What did West accomplish during his career? West became head coach of the Lakers three years after his retirement in 1974 and led the team for three seasons. In 1979 he became a scout and then transitioned into the role of general manager in 1982. During his time with the Lakers, he helped build eight championship teams, Silver said. A statue of West that stands outside the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles is said to have inspired the NBA logo.

Dig deeper: Listen to Todd Vician’s report on The World and Everything in It about how one basketball referee encourages players to make good decisions throughout the game.