Miami: Jerry West’s influence went beyond the teams he played for and managed in the front office; his silhouette serves as the NBA’s emblem. That was undoubtedly the case with the Miami Heat and the players he had a role in before his death on Wednesday at the age of 86. Micky Arison, the owner of the Miami Heat, shared on social media shortly after the Los Angeles Clippers announced the NBA legend’s passing. He said, “One of my favorite people that I had the honor to get to know in the NBA is Jerry West.” From day one, he greeted me warmly, gave me advise, and made no demands of me. We shall miss him. Peace be with you.” As the Clippers said on Wednesday morning, “Jerry West, the embodiment of basketball excellence and a friend to all who knew him, passed away peacefully this morning at the age of 86.” West had most recently been employed as a front-office consultant for the organization. Karen, his wife, was by his side. After a Hall of Fame playing career with the franchise, West worked in the front office of the Los Angeles Lakers from 1981 to 1982. He was named co-coach of the Lakers alongside current Heat president Pat Riley. With West’s quick announcement that he would solely help Riley, Riley became the premier sideline and front-office figure in the game. After West passed away, Riley released an emotional message. “I cherished Jerry West! Together, we cherished our Lakers; it was holy territory. Together, we experienced both the finest and worst moments of life as we developed as people. We can only hope that someone we encounter at a pivotal moment in our life will transform us in ways beyond our wildest imaginations. For me, that someone was Jerry.The news of his dying today brought back a lot of those memorable times spent with Jerry. Tears streamed down my face as those lovely memories hit me so quickly. They were all so clear and deeply ingrained in my memory. It seems like yesterday when we would go to Hollis Johnson’s pharmacy in Westwood following a shootaround at The Forum to indulge in the greatest milkshakes, burgers, and custard pudding with freshly whipped cream before retiring for the night. When it came time to play, Jerry had a really proficient and unrelenting style of kicking people. Being in his presence made me feel really proud. I observed and gained knowledge. He inspired me to believe. The air of brilliance surrounded me and was captivating.” Riley went on to say, “I was informed, ‘Pat, Simply observe him and take inspiration from Jerry. He possessed a great deal of elegance and was intelligent, devoted, opinionated, courageous, generous, fiercely competitive, and stubborn. These were only a few of the traits he ingrained in my mind. Perfected over many years of self-talking Jerry reminders, they came out at just the perfect moment. Jerry opened the door for me to get instruction by saying, “You can do this, but it has to be now.” After realizing, he allowed me to coach. I will always be grateful to him for providing me with that chance.”Chris and I hope that at this extremely trying time, the Good Lord would provide for Karen and his family. May they live in peace. And Jerry, my dear buddy, we will cross paths once again. Please just hold out a burger, milkshake, and whipped cream custard for me. My favorite lunch ever. Till then, Peace be with you.” Over time, Riley’s work with the Heat was closely monitored by West, even after he went on to front offices with the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, and Clippers. “Just look at what he’s done in his career, and it’s damn remarkable,” West said to USA Today on Riley’s management of the Heat a year ago, during the team’s run to the 2023 NBA Finals. His fingerprints are visible through everything they’re doing down there. They really don’t have the intention of giving up or dying.” West also openly supported Heat center Bam Adebayo and coach Erik Spoelstra. Shortly after the Heat lost the NBA Finals to the Denver Nuggets 4-1, West made the following statement about Erik Spoelstra on Sirius/XM radio in July: “I have never seen a better coach than him, I have not.” He’s simply an amazing instructor. He and Pat seem to get along well at work, in my opinion. Additionally, he has the ability to improve even really talented athletes. There, they have a system, and they accept it.” Additionally this summer, West remarked of Adebayo, “He plays every night,” in a radio interview with Rich Eisen Show host. Every night, he competes. Each night, he receives numbers. Because of his worth to his team, he will still contribute to their victory even, say, if he doesn’t score on certain nights.” Executively, West had an effect on the Heat since the team’s founding in 1988. During the expansion draft in June 1988, West, as an executive for the Lakers, arranged a deal that would allow the Heat to forego selecting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who had been left vulnerable during the process, in return for a Lakers second-round pick that the Heat would use to draft Matt Geiger in 1992. Subsequently, in August 2005, while West was heading the front office for the Grizzlies, he gave his approval to a major five-team transaction that transferred guard Eddie Jones from Miami to Memphis and brought in Jason Williams, James Posey, and Antoine Walker for the Heat.
