West Memorial Service Planned For Saturday’s Iowa State Game – West Virginia University Athletics

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – For many years, Jerry West and members of his family used to fly cross country to West Virginia to attend dedications and other special events in his honor.
 
Sadly, this time his family will be traveling here without him.
 
The West Virginia University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is honoring the memory and legacy of West during Saturday’s game against second-ranked Iowa State at the WVU Coliseum.
 
He passed away last June 12 in Los Angeles.
 
Wife Karen and sons Jonnie, Mark, Ryan and their families will be in attendance for Saturday’s game and will be recognized during a special halftime memorial service that will be presented by veteran play-by-play man Tony Caridi.
 
Jonnie played for John Beilein and Bob Huggins at WVU and is currently director of player personnel for the Golden State Warriors. His wife, former professional golfer Michelle Wie, and their daughter, Makenna, will also be in attendance on Saturday.
 
Jerry’s best friend and WVU teammate Willie Akers and his wife, Linda, are scheduled to be at the game as family guests. 
 
West’s sons David and Michael are unable to attend.
 
“There will be a private, pregame reception for the family,” Matt Wells, West Virginia Deputy Director of Athletics for External Affairs, said. “Throughout the game, we will play tribute videos during timeouts and recognize the family at halftime.”
 
Fans at the game will also receive a special Jerry West memorial pennant, courtesy of United Bank.
 
Fans can also purchase a replica of the Jerry West statue that stands outside the WVU Coliseum and special merchandise from the Jerry West Collection in the WVU Team Shop inside the Coliseum. Those not in attendance can purchase items online through ShopWVU.com.
 
The men’s basketball team will be wearing special Jerry West era throwback uniforms, of which an official unveiling will take place on Mountaineer basketball’s social media channels prior to the game.
 
Saturday’s memorial service is the culmination of a celebration of West’s life, legacy and service to West Virginia University, the state of West Virginia and the game of basketball.
 
All 18 WVU varsity sports teams are wearing a commemorative patch that features his famous No. 44 on their uniforms, warm-ups or helmets, depending upon the sport. All men’s basketball promotional material for the year also features West’s No. 44, while all WVU athletic teams are saluting West at different times throughout the year with social media postings and special video tributes.
 
“It’s important that we honor Jerry’s legacy and the impact that he had on the University, state and the game of basketball,” Wells said.
 
West is considered the greatest athlete in West Virginia state sports history and no person or athlete is more identified with the Mountain State than Jerry West, whose name was on the front and the back of his Mountaineer uniform.
 
As Pittsburgh Press sportswriter Roy McHugh once famously wrote, “the Jerry Wests of this world do not come in pairs.”
 
“A true gentleman, one of the greatest players and executives the NBA has ever seen and certainly the most famous West Virginia Mountaineer of all time, Jerry will be remembered by the sports world, and this University and its fans owe him a great debt of gratitude for a lifetime of achievement, generosity and loving memories,” West Virginia University Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker said at the time of his passing.
 
West was living proof to all West Virginians that greatness was achievable, even if it was from Cheylan, which Los Angeles Times sportswriter Jim Murray once jokingly called a “suburb” of Cabin Creek.
 
There have been great players and great sports executives but never has there been a combination quite like Jerry West. In fact, a silhouette of West is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, which prompted many to refer to him simply as “The Logo.”
 
West’s Mountaineer career included three trips to the NCAA Tournament, one to the finals in 1959 where they lost to California by one point in Louisville’s Freedom Hall. He finished his three-year varsity career in 1960 with 2,309 points, 1,240 rebounds and averages of 24.8 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. The combined record of West Virginia’s team with West in the lineup was 81-12.
 
Following the 1960 Summer Olympic Games in Rome, where West and Oscar Robertson led the United States to a Gold medal, West played 14 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was an all-star each year.
 
He was the NBA’s scoring champion in 1970, averaging 31.2 points per game, was first team All-NBA 10 times, and made the All-Defensive team four times. West was also the NBA All-Star Game MVP in 1972 – the same year his Lakers won the NBA title.
 
When his playing career ended in 1974, West was one of just three players at the time to surpass 25,000 points, Robertson and Wilt Chamberlain being the others.
 
As a general manager, he helped the Lakers to six NBA titles and then the Golden State Warriors won two more when he was their consultant. West concluded his NBA career in an advisory capacity with the Los Angeles Clippers.

He was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame last October for the third time as a contributor, making him the first person ever to be enshrined as a player, an executive and as a contributor.

Jerry was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019 and was selected as part of the NBA’s 75^th Anniversary Team in 2021.

 

He was an inaugural member of the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame in 1991, and WVU officially retired his No. 44 prior to the LSU game on Nov. 26, 2005. A statue of his likeness was dedicated outside the WVU Coliseum on Feb. 14, 2007.

 

Nearly 65 years after he last played, West still owns an amazing 17 school records.

 

Beyond his contributions on the basketball court, West was always a great supporter of West Virginia University and never turned down an opportunity to help his alma mater. His expertise was always consulted on basketball hiring decisions, and his advice and counsel were frequently sought on important matters regarding the Athletics Department and the University, right up until his death.

 

He also discreetly made significant financial contributions to West Virginia University throughout his life without much fanfare, per his wishes.

 

The game has already been announced as a sellout.