Julia Stumbaugh October 22, 2024
Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Los Angeles Clippers are honoring late NBA player, coach and executive Jerry West with a customized court decal in the team’s new Intuit Dome.
In addition to the “JW” on the sideline, the Clippers will keep a seat reserved in West’s honor during Wednesday night’s regular-season opener against the Phoenix Suns, per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk.
Ohm Youngmisuk @NotoriousOHM
New ESPN story: Clippers will honor Jerry West’s legendary life and connection to team with a court decal and a seat where he sat behind the basket near Clippers bench. There also will be a video celebrating West’s life on opening night against the Suns: https://t.co/BX07Oa2JEn pic.twitter.com/nv1MtMk0xH
West died in June at age 86. He had joined the Clippers as a consultant in 2017.
The tribute seat will display West’s signature above the nickname “The Logo,” a reference to the understanding that his silhouette was the inspiration for the NBA’s logo, per Youngmisuk.
The seat will be located behind the basket near the Clippers’ bench, where West sat during games, Youngmisuk reported.
This is not the first time the Clippers have left a seat empty in West’s memory. The team kept a chair open in their war room in his honor during the 2024 NBA draft.
LA Clippers @LAClippers
“We’re extremely happy with how our draft turned out, but also very sad that Jerry wasn’t here for it”
Lawrence Frank opened his post-draft media availability by remembering Jerry West ❤️ pic.twitter.com/78omdbLmLH
West was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for the third time in his career earlier this month.
After being inducted into the Hall in 1979 as a player, and again in 2020 as part of the 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal-winning team, West was most recently honored as a contributor for his role in developing teams including the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers.
During his time with the Clippers, which West described in 2017 as “the last adventure of my life,” the former Lakers star helped build the Clippers squad that made the franchise’s first Western Conference Finals appearance in 2021.
The Clippers will also share a video tribute made in West’s honor during the contest against the Suns, per Youngmisuk.
These tributes honoring West will take place during the first regular-season NBA game in the Intuit Dome’s history. The venue, which features the world’s largest double-sided “halo” video board, opened its doors in August.
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