**Jerry West: The Uncertain NBA Logo Legend Reflects on ‘Sensitive’ Wilt Chamberlain, Ditching Memorabilia, and Today’s Game Marvels**

**Jerry West: The Uncertain NBA Logo Legend Reflects on ‘Sensitive’ Wilt Chamberlain, Ditching Memorabilia, and Today’s Game Marvels**

Though it’s difficult to imagine now, there was a time when the Los Angeles Lakers had trouble winning championships. After moving to Los Angeles from Minneapolis in 1960, the Lakers lost their first seven trips to the NBA Finals. It wasn’t until 1971–72, the team’s fourth season led by Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West, that the purple and gold finally overcame this obstacle and brought the first Larry O’Brien trophy to a city that now has twelve. Now, more than half a century has passed, and the ’72 squad is back in the spotlight thanks to Goliath, the Showtime documentary about Chamberlain’s life. The historic jersey is expected to be auctioned off by Sotheby’s.

After retiring in 1974, Jerry West transitioned to coaching, eventually becoming the head coach of the Lakers. He then had a successful tenure as the team’s general manager. West continued his front office career as the GM of the Memphis Grizzlies and later contributed to the Golden State Warriors as a consultant, helping to spark their recent dynasty. Now, at 85, he remains active in the NBA as an executive board member and consultant for the Los Angeles Clippers. In a detailed conversation, West discussed his relationship with Wilt Chamberlain, thoughts on the modern game, and mentioned that he has no idea where any of his game-worn memorabilia is today.

**What was your reaction when you heard that Wilt’s jersey is expected to go for at least $4 million?**
First of all, I don’t have access to that kind of information. But I believe there are serious collectors interested in items from players with iconic backgrounds, and Wilt certainly fits that category. Nothing surprises me anymore. Just recently, I saw a car sold for $62 million! For dedicated collectors, price isn’t a concern. While I’m not very knowledgeable about collectors, hearing such high numbers is definitely eye-opening. It’s a different world today, with Generation X creating substantial new wealth.

**Do you collect anything? Is there memorabilia from your own career that you held on to?**
No, I’m quite simple. There isn’t much memorabilia from that era. Back then, significant game-worn jerseys and shoes were often discarded. I do have a pair of shoes bronzed on the night I scored my 25,000th point. The team gave them to me, and I thought, “At least they’re preserved,” but the shoes themselves would probably be more valuable than the bronze.

**So you don’t even know where your jersey is from the night you won your only championship as a player?**

I have no idea. If you visited my house, you wouldn’t even realize I was involved in sports. However, there’s a restaurant in West Virginia called Prime 44 West that has a lot of my memorabilia. They display my Olympic gold medal, uniform, and a picture of the amateur team I was part of, along with many game-worn items. I played in 14 All-Star Games, and I think they have every uniform from those games at the restaurant.

Who would have thought? Some players might have kept items that were significant to them, but we wore different uniforms every year, and there was no thought of preserving them. Honestly, they’re probably in some dump heap in Los Angeles.