Jerry West. Ramen, Fred. New York: Rosen Publishing Group, Inc, 2002. 120



Born on May 28, 1938, Jerry Alan West is a National Basketball Association (NBA) player, NBA Champion, Olympic gold medalist, and coach.



Growing in the small town of Chelyan, West Virginia. West was a small boy, he was so small the he needed vitamin shots to keep him healthy. He wanted to once play football but the coach said he was to small and frail. After that his neighbors put a basketball hoop on the shed in his back yard. Jerry played from dusk till he could not see the hoop anymore. West played and played and after awhile he perfected a jump shot known world wide.



West later attended East Bank High School where he tried out for the basketball team. West made it but was not a starter; instead he played the bench due to his height. The next year he would be not only starter but team captain. West would be captain each year after that until the 1955-1956 season. West took the East Bank Pioneers to the state Championship that year. The Pioneers won the game, and West had the right to call himself a champion.


After the championship game, West had college scout knocking. Over sixty colleges gave West a scholarship, but West went to his dream college to play for the West Virginia Mountaineers. West led the Mountaineers to be the Southern Conference Champions. He later took the Mountaineers to the NCAA finals were West Virginia lost to California. West was named M.V.P of the game though the lost.


West then went and played on the Olympic basketball team. The team won the gold medal. West went on to play for the Minnesota Lakers who then the team was transferred to the Los Angeles Lakers. West was an NBA all-star each year he played. West then took The Lakers to Win the 1972 along with Wilt Chamberlain the beat the New York Knicks.


West went on to coach the Lakers. Later in quit his coach job and became the vice president of the team. Jerry West now general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies and continues at doing his best for the team. His legacy continues today if you look at the NBA logo you will see a guy with the ball in his left hand running to the right. That is no other than Jerry West