NBA Finals: Mavericks, Celtics honor Hall of Famer Jerry West ahead of Game 3

The NBA honored Hall of Famer Jerry West on Wednesday night ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, just hours after his death.

West, who died earlier on Wednesday, was 86.

The league played a tribute video and then held a moment of silence before the national anthem before Game 3 between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Both coaches spoke about West’s death before the game.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said one of the “most impactful phone calls” he ever received came from West when he was in college.

Both Charles Barkley and former Warriors general manager Bob Myers also honored West at their respective pregame shows on Wednesday afternoon.

West, who inspired the NBA logo, was one of the biggest names in the league for decades. He won nine championships as a player, scout, coach, manager and consultant. He reached the NBA Finals nine times as a player, although falling six times to Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics, and was named Finals MVP in 1969 despite being on the losing team. West, who spent his entire playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers, was among the league’s first 25,000-point scorers. He averaged 27 points, 6.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds throughout his career.

He helped build the “Showtime” Lakers in the 1980s, bringing in both Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant before leaving the franchise in 2000. West also spent time running the Memphis Grizzlies and served as a member of the board of directors at both the Golden State Warriors – where he helped oversee two more titles before leaving in 2017 – and the Clippers.

West was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice, first as a player in 1980 and again as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Games gold medal-winning team in 2010. He will be reinducted as a contributor this fall for his work in a nun -profit organization. -playing/coaching ability. West also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019.