West passed away at 86 years of age on Wednesday morning.

West is among the all-time greats in basketball history, having been inducted into the Hall of Fаme for his work as both a player and an executive. Throughout his playing career, he was a loyal Lakers fan and a 14-time All-Star. He was also named to the All-NBA team twelve times. West spent three years at the helm of the Los Angeles Lakers before stepping into the front office, where he became famous as one of the league’s best talent scouts.

throughout his stint as an NBA executive, West won eight titles, six of them with the Lakers. He was an integral part of the team’s success throughout the Showtime Era of the 1980s and the 1996 acquisition of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, which launched yet another dynasty in Los Angeles.

At the completion of his playing career, West would spend his executive years with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, Warriors, and Clippers. In 2015 and 2017, he was a part of the Warriors’ championship teams.

James and West have consistently shown mutual respect for one other, even if their NBA schedules never crossed paths.

“I really respect his achievements,” West remarked of James in 2022. To think that someone doesn’t acknowledge his brilliance is impossible for me to fathom. This man is a legend. He excels at a variety of tasks. Plus, he’s fiercely competitive. Honestly, I just want everyone to stop bothering him.