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How the Los Angeles Lakers plan to honor Jerry West this season

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How the Los Angeles Lakers plan to honor Jerry West this season

The Los Angeles Lakers are honoring “the Logo” with a special addition to its jerseys for the upcoming season.

The Lakers will wear a commemorative No. 44 band on the left side of their home and away jerseys for the 2024-25 season in honor of NBA Hall-of-Famer Jerry West.

West died this past June at the age of 86.

West was a one-time NBA champion and a 14-time NBA All-Star who was inducted to both the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame as a player.

He’s the only player in history to win the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in a losing effort, capturing the award in 1969. He would eventually reach the mountain top three years later, winning his one and only championship as a player in 1972.

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The Los Angeles Lakers will honor the late Jerry West with a commemorative No. 44 patch on its jersey during the 2024-25 NBA season. (Los Angeles Lakers)

But he arguably left a bigger impact on the game for his work as a longtime NBA front office executive for the Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers.

West won the NBA’s Executive of the Year award twice and was at the helm of eight NBA Championship teams, including six with the Lakers.

Even those unfamiliar with West’s career have likely been witness to his indelible legacy. The NBA’s official logo, which features a player in an upright position dribbling with his left hand, is universally believed to be modeled after West, which earned him his famous moniker.

The league, however, has never officially confirmed the connection.

Los Angeles Lakers’ Jerry West drives around Milwaukee Bucks’ Oscar Robertson and Curtis Perry during the NBA playoffs in Milwaukee, April 14, 1972. (AP Photo/File)

In addition to the season-long celebration of his life, the Lakers will also host a Jerry West jersey giveaway night during its Oct. 22 matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers announced a bevy of fan giveaways and special celebrations taking place during home games this upcoming season. The full list is below:

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Date Opponent Celebration Fan Giveaway
Oct. 22 Minnesota Honoring Jerry West West 44 jersey
Oct. 26 Sacramento LGBTQ+ Pride Pride crossbody bag
Nov. 10 Toronto Veterans Night presented by Pechanga Lakers Pechanga camo hat
Nov. 13 Memphis Lakers collectable pin set
Nov. 21 Orlando City of Los Angeles City edition inspired socks
Dec. 8 Portland Greetings from Los Angeles postcard set
Dec. 23 Detroit Lakers holiday sweater
Jan. 3 Atlanta Lakers license plate frame
Jan. 13 San Antonio Michael Cooper Jersey Retirement Cooper 21 jersey
Jan. 21 Washington Dr. Jerry Buss Lakers collectable pin set
Feb. 8 Indiana Mental Health Awareness Lakers water bottle caddy
Feb. 11 Utah In the Paint Local Art Program To be announced
Feb. 27 Minnesota Girl Dad Night To be announced
March 4 New Orleans Purple and gold luggage strap
March 22 Chicago Sneakerhead sneaker bag
March 31 Houston Collectable pin set
April 4 New Orleans Sneakerhead shoelaces
April 11 Houston Fan Appreciation Lakers tote bag
Source: Los Angeles Lakers

This season, the Lakers will also honor former owner Jerry Buss and will officially retire the number of five-time NBA champion Michael Cooper.

The team will also have a new jersey sponsor this season in the form of Korean food brand Bibigo. It will be the first time in NBA history that a jersey featured Korean characters, the team says.

Los Angeles, Ca

Deputies reveal what led to violent L.A. County bus crash that injured 13 people

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Deputies reveal what led to violent L.A. County bus crash that injured 13 people

Authorities revealed new details Wednesday afternoon about the violent Santa Clarita crash involving a city transit bus, an overturned semi truck and two other vehicles that left 13 people injured.

According to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the driver of a semi truck hauling a full load of gravel may have been traveling as fast as 70 mph when the vehicle approached a yellow light at the intersection of Golden Valley Road and Centre Pointe Parkway around 9:30 a.m.

Investigators said the driver then attempted to make a right turn to avoid running the red light before crashing into the bus and two passenger vehicles.

“[The driver] tried to make a right-hand turn to avoid running the red light and then crashed into the bus and the other two passenger vehicles,” Capt. Brandon Barclay of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station told KTLA.

Officials noted that the speed limit on Golden Valley Road is 50 mph.

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Sky5 aerial footage showed the heavily damaged Santa Clarita Transit bus pushed onto a curb while the semi truck overturned nearby, and another vehicle appeared pinned beneath the front right side of the bus.

“When you look at it, it looks like a scene from Universal CityWalk,” Barclay said.

Authorities said 13 people were injured in the crash.

One passenger seated in the back of the bus had to be freed using the Jaws of Life and remained hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, KTLA’s Angeli Kakade reported.

Seven additional people were transported to hospitals while five others declined medical treatment at the scene.

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“You have a bus that was hit by a semi truck, so it’s very impactful for this community,” Barclay added.

  • Santa Clarita city bus crash
  • Santa Clarita city bus crash
  • Santa Clarita city bus crash
  • Santa Clarita city bus crash
  • Santa Clarita city bus crash
  • Santa Clarita city bus crash

Former Santa Clarita transit bus driver Darryl Richardson said he was stunned when he saw the aftermath of the crash.

“I know how a person feels to see a big old truck coming right at you,” Richardson told KTLA. “Thank God if it had broadsided the driver, we’d be talking about a different conversation right now.”

The City of Santa Clarita said road closures around the crash scene were expected to continue for several hours as deputies investigated what led up to the collision.

All directions of Centre Pointe Parkway between Golden Valley Road and Ruether Avenue remained closed Wednesday afternoon. Eastbound Golden Valley Road was also shut down from Robert C. Lee Parkway to Centre Pointe Parkway.

Drivers were urged to avoid the area and use alternate routes.

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The crash remains under investigation.

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Los Angeles, Ca

Burglary reported in San Fernando Valley hours after officials announce arrests 

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Burglary reported in San Fernando Valley hours after officials announce arrests 

Just hours after officials announced arrests connected to a string of residential burglaries, another one was reported in the San Fernando Valley.  

According to a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson, the incident took place just before 1:45 a.m. Wednesday in the 5000 block of Bluebell Avenue, which is located in the Valley Village neighborhood.  

The person who lives in the home was too shaken to appear on camera but told KTLA that three masked suspects broke in while she was inside and took off within minutes.

The LAPD spokesperson was unable to confirm that detail, or any other details, right away. It was unclear whether anything was taken from the home.

Police investigate a reported burglary in the 5000 block of Bluebell Avenue in the Valley Village neighborhood on May 12, 2026. (KTLA)

The alleged break-in came less than a day after L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and other officials announced arrests in a string of burglaries mainly plaguing the San Fernando Valley. At a press conference Tuesday, Mayor Karen Bass said there has been a 30% reduction year-to-date in property crimes and burglaries.

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The LAPD says part of their strategy is to saturate areas, like the Valley, that have been targeted disproportionately, using visible officers and others “behind the scenes.”

“Burglaries in the city are down over 30%, reflecting the effectiveness of our proactive enforcement and prevention strategies,” LAPD Deputy Chief Gerald Woodyard said. “We are aware that the burglary crews are highly organized and sophisticated, and we are constantly adjusting our strategies to counteract their tactics.”

That said, the LAPD is down anywhere from 800 to 1,400 police officers. The mayor said she’s fighting to hire more and is using mental health professionals on calls which don’t require a police officer.

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Detectives investigating if La Cañada burglary is connected to string of recent break-ins

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Detectives investigating if La Cañada burglary is connected to string of recent break-ins

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a burglary, which happened on the 1200 block of El Vago Drive in La Cañada Flintridge on May 2.

The burglary happened around 7:20 p.m. Detectives are actively investigating if the burglary is connected to a string of other recent burglaries in L.A. County.

A woman who lives in the area contacted KTLA about the burglary after she noticed that security camera footage of the suspects matched the suspects seen in a different burglary in Studio City. During the Studio City burglary, the suspects attacked a Good Samaritan with bear spray.

A victim was attacked by a burglar using bear spray after he confronted the two suspects burglarizing a Studio City home on May 8, 2028. (Steve Calabro)

LASD Capt. Ryan Vienna called the rash of burglaries in the region “unacceptable.” LASD has deployed additional deputies to the La Cañada Flintridge area in response to the burglary.

“I ask all members of the community to promptly report suspicious activity or crimes in progress, as well as cooperate with our investigators so we may apprehend those who would or have caused harm,” Vienna said.

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No other details have been revealed in the case as it remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to contact LASD at (818) 236-4015.

Burglaries are an ongoing problem across Southern California in recent months. On May 5, four men were arrested for stealing more than $100,000 in valuables form a Thousand Oaks home, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.

LASD provided following burglary prevention tips:

  • Lock all doors and windows, even when home
  • Keep exterior lights on during nighttime hours
  • Utilize alarm systems and surveillance cameras if available
  • Avoid leaving valuables visible from outside the home
  • Collect mail and packages promptly
  • Report suspicious persons or vehicles in your neighborhood immediately
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