Sports
Plaschke: Laker legend Jerry West's final legacy sadly includes estrangement from Lakers
The sadness was compounded by the strangeness.
The announcement of the death of the greatest Laker was made by the Clippers.
“Jerry West, the personification of basketball excellence and a friend to all who knew him, passed away peacefully this morning at the age of 86,” read the Wednesday morning release from the Clippers’ communications department.
The Clippers loved Jerry West, and were loved by him, and he was treated with the utmost dignity and respect during his seven years as their adviser.
But he will forever be a Laker.
He built the Lakers into a Southern California institution as a player. He constructed and nurtured the Lakers’ greatness as a general manager.
Sankara XT pauses to photograph a statue of Jerry West at Crypto.Com Arena after hearing the news of his death Wednesday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
He was their conscience. He was their heartbeat. He was their soul. He was the most important person to ever walk through their gym doors.
But in the end, for a variety of reasons, the basketball genius and his creation were estranged.
West walked away from the Lakers 24 years ago and never returned.
It was always so bizarre, the best executive in the history of sports living down the street from an organization he helped build into the most celebrated in sports … and yet they didn’t talk.
The Lakers struggled after the trade of Shaquille O’Neal while West watched from Memphis. The Lakers were adrift in the final years of Kobe Bryant while West watched from Golden State. The Lakers were buckling in the early years of LeBron James while West watched from the Clippers.
He was so close, yet so far.
The Lakers honored him with a statue in 2011 in an event attended by owner Jerry Buss and all sorts of Lakers royalty. But they continued along separate paths until his death Wednesday poignantly reminded everyone of their divorce.
The Clippers were the first to issue a statement early Wednesday morning, reading, “The Clippers have lost a mentor, a confidant and a friend.”
At the same time, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer issued his own statement, writing, “From the first day I met Jerry seven years ago, he inspired me with his intellect, honesty and enthusiasm. He never stopped. I spent a lot of time with him, some of the best times of my life. He always lent an ear, and he always had a quip. He always left me laughing. I will miss him.”
The Lakers’ statement came later, reading, in part, “Jerry West is forever a basketball icon … Jerry West will always be a Lakers legend.”
It was nice, but it was four sentences and there was no personalized tribute from a Lakers official until Jeanie Buss issued a short statement on Instagram in the early afternoon.
“Today is a difficult day for all Laker fans. I know that if my father were here, he would say that Jerry West was at the heart of all that made the Lakers great. He was an icon to all — but he was also a hero to our family. We all send our sympathies to Karen and the West family.”
Again, it was nice, but compared to past Lakers’ tributes for fallen stars such as Elgin Baylor and Tex Winter, the team’s response was underwhelming for a man who deserved so much more.
Jerry West was essentially the first Los Angeles Lakers draft pick, as he was the first-round selection of the Minnesota Lakers shortly before they moved to Los Angeles.
It was West and Elgin Baylor who became this city’s first professional basketball stars. It was West’s 63-foot overtime-forcing basket in the 1970 Finals against the New York Knicks that became one of this city’s first great sports moments.
He had this city’s first great sports nickname — “Mr. Clutch.” He garnered arguably the highest honor of any athlete in this city’s history — his silhouette is the NBA logo.
Lakers star Jerry West shoots a free throw during a 1973 game against the Chicago Bulls.
(Heinz Kluetmeier / Sports Illustrated via Getty Ima)
Then, after 15 years as a star Lakers player, he became this city’s first dynasty builder, nurturing the “Showtime” era, then personally building the Shaquille O’Neal-Kobe Bryant era by signing Shaq and trading for Kobe.
Tweeted Byron Scott: “It’s because of Jerry West that there was even ‘Showtime.’”
Tweeted Magic Johnson: “Laker Nation, the only reason we have 17 championships is because of Jerry West and his expertise drafting players, trading for players, and hiring the right coaches.”
That expertise has been sorely missing from the Lakers in recent years. In fact, it is one of two occurrences that have led to the current struggles of the once-strong front office.
One could say the slow slide began with the departure of Jerry West and the death of Jerry Buss.
When West abruptly left the organization after the 2000 championship, he said his body could no longer take the stress.
“Everything around here has taken its toll,” he told me at the time. “You see my outside, but you don’t see my inside, and it’s just awful in there. This compulsion with winning, it’s a sickness.”
But it was about more than winning, it was about how they were winning. Coach Phil Jackson was being given more power. He was also dating the owner’s daughter, giving Jackson more perceived stature. West was increasingly uncomfortable with dynamics that seemed to be marginalizing his presence.
When West talked of, “Everything around here … ,” much of that was centered on Jackson and Buss.
As the years passed, West became more bitter, and the Lakers became more resentful of his bitterness, and, once Jerry Buss died in 2013, West’s connections to the club were seemingly gone forever.
Jerry West, right, speaks during a news conference as Clippers coach Doc Rivers laughs during a 2017 news conference.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
One of the final breaking points occurred in 2017, when Jeanie Buss cleared out the front office and hired Rob Pelinka and Magic Johnson to run the team. West had publicly said he would be interested in returning home to join them, but nothing was offered, and so he joined the Clippers.
In his introductory Clippers news conference, he took a veiled shot at the Lakers, saying,“My last stop along the way, [I want] to be associated with people who are really basketball people, people I have respect for and, more importantly, I think, an incredible owner.”
Four years later, the relationship was ruined forever when, on a podcast, Jeanie Buss named her five most important Lakers ever.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, LeBron James and Phil Jackson.
West, unarguably the most important Laker ever, wasn’t even on the list, and he was furious. He was so insulted, he told one media organization that he sometimes wished he had never even played with the Lakers.
“One disappointing thing [about my career] is that my relationship with the Lakers is horrible,” West said in a 2022 interview with The Athletic. “I still don’t know why. And at the end of the day, when I look back, I say, ‘Well, maybe I should have played somewhere else instead of with the Lakers, where someone would have at least appreciated how much you give, how much you cared.’”
To all this animosity, add the fact that in 2019, the Lakers parted ways with West’s son Ryan, who was their director of player personnel. Then there was Jerry West’s claim that the Lakers took away his season tickets, further annoying him.
Amid Wednesday‘s gloom, it was inspirational to see how the Clippers supported Jerry West, with lengthy tributes not only from Ballmer, but also team president Lawrence Frank and Coach Tyronn Lue.
But it was equally sad to see how detached West appeared from the organization he built.
The Lakers still have room on their jerseys for a patch, right? Next year they should wear a JW in his honor.
The Lakers have never dedicated their hardwood, right? Next year they could name it, “Jerry West Court.”
The greatest Laker is gone, but his legacy must not be forgotten.
Especially by the Lakers.
Sports
USMNT, down a player after Timothy Weah red card, falls to Panama in shocking Copa América match
The United States men’s national soccer team, down a man after Timothy Weah’s early red card in the first half, couldn’t hold off constant pressure Thursday from Panama, which captured a 2-1 win in a Copa América group stage match.
The USMNT was searching for another victory in the group stage after taking down Bolivia Sunday. A U.S. win would have made Monday’s matchup against Uruguay meaningless because six points would have advanced the U.S. to the knockout stage.
The match against Panama turned chippy, and it started with Weah.
Tim Weah of the U.S. reacts after being ejected during a Copa América USA 2024 Group C match against Panama at Mercedes-Benz Stadium June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
The veteran U.S. forward was issued a red card in the 18th minute after shoving a Panamanian player in the back of the head, resulting in an automatic ejection.
Though he was initially given a yellow card, a referee pocketed the yellow and took out the red with Weah already walking off the field. From there, the USMNT was down a player, and Panama took advantage.
USMNT’S TIMOTHY WEAH ISSUED RED CARD AFTER STRIKING PANAMA PLAYER IN HEAD
The U.S. got on the board first when Folarin Balogun scored his second goal of this Copa América tournament with a left boot off the right post in the 22nd minute. But Panama answered four minutes later, when Cesar Blackman scored his first career international goal with a left-footed drive past the reach of keeper Matt Turner.
Turner eventually took a seat on the USMNT bench after a nasty collision in the first half resulted in a leg injury. Turner finished the first half, but Ethan Horvath replaced him in the second.
Players from Panama celebrate after winning a Copa América USA 2024 Group C match against the United States at Mercedes-Benz Stadium June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
Panama used its one-man man advantage to send a constant attack at the U.S. Defense was key, and the U.S. switched to a five-man backfield with three midfielders and one forward. But Panama finally broke through with some patience in the 83rd minute.
After Ricardo Pepi failed to convert a Weston McKennie cross one minute earlier to give the U.S. a lead, Panama’s José Fajardo redirected a pinball cross past Horvath, and Panama’s bench rushed the field to celebrate the score.
With the U.S. entering desperation mode, the game turned ugly. Panama’s Adalberto Carrasquilla was issued a red card after sweeping Christian Pulisic’s legs, which led to a bit of a scuffle.
With the sides even at 10 players, the U.S. had a few set pieces to work with, but it failed to convert.
Weston McKennie of the U.S. looks dejected after losing a Copa América USA 2024 Group C match against Panama at Mercedes-Benz Stadium June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
When the final whistle blew, Panama had won its third match over the U.S. in its history.
The U.S. now heads into Monday’s match against Uruguay, the winner of 15 Copa América tournaments, needing a victory to make it out of the group stage.
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He shed the bulky knee brace strapped around his right leg, stuck his vault cold to open one of the biggest competitions of his life, and Brody Malone still didn’t crack a smile as he scurried off the mats at Target Center on Thursday.
Malone’s mission is far from done.
In second place after the first day of Olympic trials, the three-time U.S. champion is in a strong position to earn his second Olympic team berth with 85.100 points in the all-around. He trails 2023 world all-around bronze medalist Frederick Richard, who surged into the top spot in the final two rotations and finished with an 85.600.
The top all-around finisher locks in a coveted Olympic berth on the five-man team that will be announced Saturday (2 p.m. PDT, NBC). Malone, third-place finisher Shane Wiskus (84.300 points) and Yul Moldauer, who is tied for fifth (83.700), are vying for their second Olympic berths.
Brody Malone talks about his performance, including how he’s handling the nerves of the U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials. (Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
An encore Olympic performance seemed improbable for Malone when he was on an operating table in Germany in March 2023.
Competing in the event finals at the DTB Pokal Team Challenge, Malone peeled off the high bar on his dismount and mangled his right knee. He was rushed to surgery, one of three procedures he needed to repair ligament tears, cartilage damage and a fractured tibial plateau. Brett McClure, USA Gymnastics men’s high performance director, was on the floor in the arena and didn’t think he would see Malone perform again.
Then the former Stanford star won his third U.S. championship this month in his first all-around performance in 17 months.
“Absolutely incredible,” McClure told reporters Wednesday. “It’s mind-blowing. Obviously from my position, high performance director, I want to just see him safely get through Olympic trials. That’s not good enough for him. He wants to go out there and win.”
Malone started with a triumphant vault in the first rotation, sticking his routine while competing without his knee brace for the first time. The brace is designed to push the joint inward while on floor and vault to reduce pain. But it was pushing against his shin and affecting his run. Competing without it marked another major milestone in his comeback.
“Sticking it was the cherry on top, for sure,” Malone said, finally smiling.
Malone’s only misstep came on pommel horse when he nearly slipped off the apparatus, but he muscled through the traveling element to stay on as the crowd exhaled. The slip-up allowed Richard and Asher Hong to jump briefly into a tie for first place over Malone, passing the veteran by just five-hundreths of a point after four rotations.
Brody Malone competes on the still rings at the U.S. Olympic trials on Thursday.
(Abbie Parr / Associated Press)
Hong, who won the all-around national championship in 2023 during Malone’s absence, bounced back from a 10th-place finish at the U.S. championship to finish Day 1 tied with 2023 world championships teammate Moldauer in fifth place (83.700). Moldauer slipped off the pommel horse in his opening routine but rallied with the night’s second-best parallel bars score of 15.150.
Stanford star Khoi Young, who won silver medals on vault and pommel horse at the world championships — a breakthrough event for the U.S. men, who claimed the bronze team medal — struggled on high bar and pommel horse and slipped to 12th.
The mistakes were uncharacteristic for the 21-year-old, who was the first American man to win multiple event medals at a world championships since 1979. Stanford coach Thom Glielmi said he’s never seen Young make those mistakes in practice, let alone competition.
But the trials are no normal meet.
“For a lot of us, it’s the biggest competition of our lives,” Malone said. “All the guys out there that haven’t made the Olympics before, this is their ticket to go. So I mean, of course the nerves are going to be going crazy. Even us that have been to the Olympics before, we want to go again, so the nerves are there for sure.”
Wiskus turned the nerves into energy, thanks to his home court advantage. The Spring Park, Minn., native is competing just 20 miles from his hometown. After a floor routine that pushed him from fourth to second in the standings, Wiskus held one hand to his ear to soak up the adulation from the fans. When he completed his final routine, finishing his rings performance with a small hop on the dismount, Wiskus clapped up a cloud of chalk dust, pumped his fist at the crowd and pounded his chest.
Normally the mild-mannered Midwesterner wouldn’t play to the crowd as much. Maybe when he was younger, an atmosphere like this would rattle him, Wiskus said. Hearing the roar from the crowd when he was introduced helped him let loose.
“I allowed myself to have some fun considering what could potentially be the last meet of my career,” the 25-year-old said.
With another strong performance Saturday, Wiskus could extend his career all the way to Paris.
Sports
Trevor Lawrence, wife announce they are expecting first child after $275 million contract extension
It’s been a fun few weeks for Trevor Lawrence.
Earlier this month, he inked a $275 million deal, making him tied with Joe Burrow for the second-highest paid player in NFL history.
Well, he and his wife, Marissa, announced on Instagram that they are expecting their first child.
Trevor Lawrence is shown with wife Marissa last year. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
“A little Lawrence on the way,” the couple wrote in a joint post.
In the post, the couple shared 10 photos of a sonogram and of Marissa showing off her baby bump.
Lawrence’s deal includes $142 million guaranteed. He became the sixth QB making more than $50 million a year, joining Burrow, Jared Goff, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts. Lawrence is the 14th to top $40 million annually, and he’s the youngest on the list.
Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars kisses his wife, Marissa, after his team’s playoff-clinching win against the Tennessee Titans at then-TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, on Jan. 7, 2023. (Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
12 SETS OF RECENT BROTHERS PART OF THE NFL: THE KELCES, BOSAS AND MORE
Lawrence has already added his name to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ history books. He is fourth on the franchise’s all-time passing yards list. His 58 career touchdown passes rank fourth in franchise history.
Lawrence finished the past two NFL seasons with more than 4,000 passing yards; he and the Jags won the AFC South in 2022 and were in terrific shape to repeat, but a second half collapse saw them miss the playoffs.
Last season, he threw for 4,016 yards with 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He also ran for four scores, lost seven fumbles and was sacked a career-high 35 times.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence runs with the ball during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Dec. 17, 2023. (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The 24-year-old is 21-31 as a starter in three seasons, including 1-1 in the playoffs, and he has a whopping 60 turnovers in three seasons, which is a number he needs to trim to become the player the Jags believe he can be.
Fox News’ Chantz Martin contributed to this report.
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