By JOE MCDONNELL
Special to FOXSportsWest.com
Updated Feb. 17, 2011
Jerry West became the fifth Los Angeles sports icon to be immortalized with a bronze statue at STAPLES Center.
On Thursday evening, West joined Magic Johnson, Chick Hearn, Oscar De La Hoya and Wayne Gretzky to be forever honored in Star Plaza. It was a great ceremony, with the West family, city dignitaries, past and present members of the Lakers, and the public all on hand for the unveiling.
Mr. Clutch becomes the Man of Bronze.
Finally.
With all due respect to the other greats already residing in their bronze glory, West should have been the first to receive a permanent likeness. He, along with Elgin Baylor and Hearn, were the faces of the franchise after the move from Minneapolis.
West was a great player at both ends of the floor and was the heart, soul and conscience of the Lakers as they suffered seven NBA Finals losses to the Celtics and Knicks, before finally beating New York in 1972 for the franchise's first L.A. title. So it is only right that a statue of West in his golden No. 44 Lakers jersey would be commissioned.
However, he is the only man who should have a SECOND statue at STAPLES, this one showing him sitting behind a desk, in a suit, replicating his prowess during a long run as VP and GM of the Lakers.
Without Jerry West, on and off the court, the Lakers might not be the most popular franchise in the city
