Lakers: Jerry West Goes Off on the Lakers Over a Season Ticket Issue
The rift between Jerry West and the Los Angeles Lakers continues. The Basketball Hall of Famer talked about it with The Athletic's Sam Amick this week, and he noted that the team revoking his season tickets was the final straw.
Since West joined the Clippers as a member of their front office, his relationship with the Lakers has gone downhill. They did not bring him back in any capacity despite West wanting to remain with the Lakers as an executive.
“It was a cold phone text to my wife. No one had the nerve to call me, but that’s how petty they are, OK? And I love the Lakers, OK? I love to see them do well. It’s great for basketball. I’m proud of everything that happened when I was there. I’m proud of everything that happened when I wasn’t there—the positives.
The Lakers allegedly pulled Jerry and his wife's tickets without any explanation. It's just the latest in a series of issues that have come up between West and the storied franchise. For a guy that spent his entire 14-year career playing there, it's wild to see how quickly the relationship went downhill.
“But sometimes you feel like you’re discarded, like a piece of trash. And there’s a couple of people over there—not Jeanie—but there’s a couple of people over there that, uh … I don’t get it. I don’t. … I always had a great relationship with Jeanie—at least I thought I did. I don’t know where it is now.”
West sort of added that he had wished he spent his career with a team that appreciated him. Clearly, he did not think the Lakers were appreciative of what he had done for the franchise over the years.
