Jerry West

His basketball instincts were unmatched, his credentials without reproach, and his character of the highest order. Jerry West, the man who would later come to symbolize the NBA in the form of the League’s official logo, helped build the Los Angeles Lakers into one of basketball’s most storied franchises. In 1960, armed with an Olympic gold medal and a disposition that was more country road than Sunset Boulevard, West embarked upon a career that would ultimately land him 14 All-Star nods, 17 All-League mentions, two Executive of the Year awards, and seven NBA championships. West played his last game on February 5, 1974, and as he walked off into the sunset, the dawn of a new era was already taking shape. Within a few years, he was back with the Lakers, first as a coach, then as a scout, and then finally as general manager. Hollywood was overcome with West’s engineering of the Showtime Lakers that produced five titles in the Eighties and launched the Shaquille O’Neal-Kobe Bryant three-peat run in the early 2000s. West’s seamless transition from the hardwood to the front office was one of the most remarkable ever.