Magic Johnson Honors Jerry West, Says He's 'Only Reason' Lakers Have 17 NBA Titles

Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson credited Jerry West with helping to make the organization one of the most successful ever in the NBA.

"Beyond his basketball accolades as a basketball player and NBA executive, Jerry West was a great man, a leader of men, fiercely loved his family and friends, and despite holding jobs with other franchises, he was a Lakers fan for life," Johnson said on X.

"Laker Nation, the only reason we have 17 NBA championships is because of Jerry West and his expertise drafting players, trading for players, and hiring the right coaches. Today is a sad day for basketball fans and sports fans across the globe."

Johnson also reflected on his friendship with West, which began when Magic joined the Lakers in 1979. West emphasized the significance of playing for the team and where the young guard fit in the bigger picture.

"When training camp began, he gave me so many golden nuggets and really critiqued every facet of my game," Johnson wrote. "After every practice he would give me notes on how I could get better and those sessions carried over to the regular season. Once a week we went over what I needed to improve and how I could dominate in the league. Those meetings meant everything to me because I learned so much from him."

West died Wednesday at the age of 86.

His playing career alone was enough to make him a Hall of Famer. He was a 14-time All-Star and 12-time All-NBA honoree. He won a championship with the Lakers in 1972 and has the distinction of being the only player ever to win the NBA Finals MVP on the losing team (1969). His silhouette is the logo for the league.

West left an even bigger legacy as an NBA executive, though. He was the architect of the Showtime-era Lakers in the 1980s, which resulted in five championships. Then he built the next dynasty with Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and head coach Phil Jackson. Correctly identifying Bryant's massive potential was one of the clearest examples of West's keen eye for talent evaluation.

Los Angeles has had plenty of marquee head coaches and countless basketball titans stepping onto the court. One could argue that nobody has contributed more toward making the organization what it is today than West did.