West Virginia celebrates the life of NBA great Jerry West at sellout game with No. 2 Iowa State
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia celebrated the life of NBA great Jerry West, the school’s career leading scorer, at its sellout game Saturday against No. 2 Iowa State, and announced at halftime that his No. 44 would be retired across all sports at the university.
Video tributes and stories about West, who died on June 12, 2024, at the age of 86, were shown throughout the game, including past clips from Pat Riley, Magic Johnson and former West Virginia stars Rod Thorn, Willie Akers and the late “Hot Rod” Hundley.
To cap things off, the Mountaineers beat Iowa State 64-57, with fans storming the court afterward to join the players in singing John Denver’s “Country Roads, Take Me Home.”
“We got the win for Jerry,” said West Virginia guard Javon Small, who scored a game-high 27 points. “He was with us today, for sure.”
As part of Saturday’s remembrance, Los Angeles Clippers chairman Steve Ballmer announced a $5 million gift to support West Virginia students in West’s memory. West worked for the Clippers as a consultant for the seven years prior to his death.
Fans posed for photos next to a statue of West outside West Virginia’s arena and were given commemorative gold-and-blue pennants with the No. 44 and the inscription “Forever a Mountaineer.” The university retired West’s No. 44 uniform number in 2005.
West is enshrined in the rafters alongside the retired numbers of Thorn and Hundley.
West’s wife, Karen, and three of his sons were given a standing ovation at halftime on the court, including Jonnie West, a member of the Mountaineers’ Final Four team in 2010.
“Just an incredible day, on a day we’re getting to celebrate his legacy not only for West Virginia basketball, but for the sport itself,” West Virginia coach Darian DeVries said. “And to have so many of his family and loved ones here to be a part of this, I think you can only assume that he had a little helping hand in this one tonight.”
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