Los Angeles, Ca
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.
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.
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:
| 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 |
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.