Jerry West has joined the LA Clippers, bringing an infusion of talent and vision to the team’s front office.
Reports surfaced this week reporting that Jerry West, the logo himself, will join the LA Clippers front office in an advisory capacity for the upcoming NBA season.
This is big news for a Clippers team that just announced their eminent departure from Staples Center, where they have played in the shadow of the Lakers since 1999.
MUST READ: Jerry West joining the LA Clippers
Owner Steve Ballmer is aiming to alter not only the perception of his admittedly successful franchise, but its trajectory as well.
As free agency looms and speculation continues regarding the futures of superstars Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, LA needs all the help they can get in what may be the franchise’s most important offseason in years.
According to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, Paul is reportedly planning to meet with both the Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets after opting for an early termination clause in his contract.
However, the Clippers stiffest competition may be the San Antonio Spurs, with reports that there is mutual interest between the team and Paul.
The talented guard may be lured away from a Clippers team that lacks a roster capable of a serious run against the reigning champs, something West is capable of fixing.
Enter Jerry
Jerry West, a 14-time All-Star, brings with him not only a much-needed championship pedigree, but one of the greatest basketball minds to ever play the game.
Head coach Doc Rivers has been largely unsuccessful in his role as the team’s de facto general manager, causing some to question his future with the team.
He could absolutely use the help of West, who was instrumental in shutting down the Warrior’s potential trade of Klay Thompson for Kevin Love, a move that could have destroyed Golden State’s championship run.
With an established face in the LA front office, Paul will most likely be more inclined to accept a huge pay day with the Clippers, trusting in West’s capability to build a team with the talent to possibly upend the Warriors.
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West has fully bought-in on his role with LA, and is intrigued by the task of building another dynasty in Los Angeles.
“Sometimes you need to be challenged,” West told ESPN. “I’ve kind of been defiant my whole life, the way I was raised, and I think this is like the defiant streak in me.”
When asked about working under Ballmer, West seemed excited and humbled to return to a city in which he has won multiple championships.
“He’s a winner, and he wants to win,” West explained to ESPN. “He will let Doc and Lawrence Frank make decisions, and hopefully I can help. That’s really all I care about. I don’t want to be the story. I don’t want to be the headline. I’m going to have the same role as I did up there.”
There is no doubt that this is one of the Clipper’s best front office acquisitions in franchise history.
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