Los Angeles Lakers: Top 10 NBA Draft picks in franchise history
By Frank Urbina
2. Jerry West (PG/SG) — No. 2 overall pick in 1960 NBA Draft
Career stats (as a Laker): 932 GP, 27.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.7 APG, 2.6 STL, 0.7 BLK, 47.4 FG%, 81.4 FT%
The man whose silhouette is the design for the NBA’s logo to this day, Jerry West, comes in at No. 2 in our countdown.
His accolades are almost too long to list, but screw it, we’re gonna try anyway:
- All-Star in every season of his 14-year career
- 10-time All-NBA First Team
- Two-time All-NBA Second Team
- Four-time All-Defensive First Team
- Two-time All-Defensive Second Team
Aside from all that, let’s not forget that he also owns the most unique Finals MVP trophy ever. In 1969, West became the only player in NBA history to win the coveted award while playing for the losing side — an unfathomably difficult feat to consider.
The Lakers were defeated by the Celtics in yet another gut-wrenching seven-game series to culminate that season; West shot 49 percent during the championship bout in question, scoring 37.9 points nightly, while securing 4.7 rebounds and handing out 7.4 helpers per game. What’s more, he dropped 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists in Game 7, which Los Angeles lost by just two. (Ouch.)
Taking it back to a macro level, West became notorious throughout his career for his penchant to hit shots like this:
They didn’t call him Mr. Clutch for nothing. (Just for reference, the Lakers were down by two at that point, and West nailed a half-court bomb to force overtime. Oh, and it wasn’t some low-stakes regular season matchup, but Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals. Ho-hum.)
In all, West was one of the league’s first true superstars; his crafty scoring ability and pristine jump shot (one of the prettiest ever) would have helped him excel in any era — even today. He wasn’t just one of the best Lakers ever, either, but one of the most dominating talents the NBA has ever seen.