Lakers News: Jerry West Unpacks Unparalleled Competitive Nature Of Kobe Bryant
In a brand-new conversation with Los Angeles Clippers All-Star forward Paul George on his Podcast P show, Clippers consultant Jerry West touched on a lot of aspects of his storied career, both as a Hall of Fame player with your Los Angeles Lakers, and later as one of the NBA's premiere executives while with the Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and now Clippers.
West won one title as a player, though he appeared in a whopping nine NBA Finals. During his tenure as a Laker, the 6'3" guard out of the University of West Virginia was a 14-time All-Star, a 12-time All-NBA honoree, and a five-time All-Defensive Teamer. He is generally considered one of the best 10-15 players in league history. He also won Executive of the Year twice, while guiding his teams to eight championships in a front office capacity.
Beyond his playing career, West's biggest moment as an executive (among many, which also included the Clippers' recruitment of Kawhi Leonard and George in the summer of 2019) most likely transpired in the fateful summer of 1996, when he signed free agent center Shaquille O'Neal to an epic $120 million contract (this was the pre-salary cap days) and traded for the rights to draft a 17-year-old high schooler named Kobe Bryant.
West reflected on Bryant's tireless work ethic in an early clip from his conversation with George, a Palmdale native:
"To watch him work out, it was ridiculous, okay?" West told George. "I mean, like a man playing against kindergarten people, that's how advanced he was. He was versatile. He was a ferocious defender. That's all he did, he wanted to compete. He was unbelievably skilled. His work ethic, second to none. And it was genuine. It's not verbiage. You go around training camp and you watch him, and... you almost felt you had to strap him down. He could not sit down. He was just a natural player who, when he was born, there was a heck of a lot of gold dust sprinkled on him. A lot!"
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