Jerry West

:"Jerry West" was also a psuedonym used by Andrew E. Svenson

Management

In 1982, Jerry West was named general manager of the Lakers, and through shrewd trades and draft picks, maintained the Lakers status in the NBA elite for the rest of the decade. These teams were built around the core of Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy and would go on to win four more championships in 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988 becoming the first team to win back-to-back championships since the great Boston Celtics dynasty of the 1960s did so in 1968 and 1969.

Related Topics:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - James Worthy - Boston Celtics

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Following a slump in the early 1990s, West receieved the NBA Executive of the Year Award in 1995 after his Lakers reached the playoffs. West is credited for bringing Kobe Bryant onto the team and signing free agent Shaquille O'Neal to the team, which would later go on to win three NBA titles.

Related Topics:
NBA Executive of the Year Award - Kobe Bryant - Shaquille O'Neal

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In 2002 he was hired as President of Basketball Operations by the Memphis Grizzlies. Although it was the worst team in the NBA at that time, West quietly rebuilt the team. In 2004, the Grizzlies won 50 games for the first time in its history, and he was named NBA Executive of the Year for the second time.

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He currently lives in Memphis with his wife and 17-year-old son.

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