West Virginia celebrates the life of NBA great Jerry West at sellout game with No. 2 Iowa State

A statue honoring NBA great Jerry West, stands outside the West Virginia University Coliseum, in Morgantown, W.Va., Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, as fans arrive for an NCAA college basketball game between Iowa State and West Virginia. (AP Photo/John Raby)

By The Associated Press

Posted Jan 18, 2025 06:44:34 PM.

Last Updated Jan 18, 2025 06:45:25 PM.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia celebrated the life of NBA great Jerry West, the school’s all-time leading scorer, at its sellout game Saturday against No. 2 Iowa State.

Video tributes and stories about West, who died on June 12, 2024, at the age of 86, were shown throughout the game, including past clips from Pat Riley, Magic Johnson and former West Virginia stars Rod Thorn, Willie Akers and the late “Hot Rod” Hundley.

As part of Saturday’s remembrance, Los Angeles Clippers chairman Steve Ballmer announced a $5 million gift to support West Virginia students in West’s memory. West worked for the Clippers as a consultant for the seven years prior to his death.

Fans posed for photos next to a statue of West outside West Virginia’s arena and were given commemorative gold-and-blue pendants with the No. 44 and the inscription “Forever a Mountaineer.” The university retired West’s No. 44 uniform number in 2005.

West is enshrined in the rafters alongside the retired numbers of Thorn and Hundley.

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