There's no place like home.
Sure, NBA legend and California fixture Jerry West has skipped town before (joining the Memphis Grizzlies in 2002 in an effort to test himself and his prolific skills as a general manager) but in the end, California truly is where Mr. Clutch's heart is.
The man dubbed “The Logo” later retired and became a highly-paid (the highest paid, to be precise) executive board member for the eventual champion Golden State Warriors before packing his bags closer to his roots in 2017 and joining the Los Angeles Clippers. And while he's technically just a ‘consultant' by technical terms, the 79 year-old (set to turn 80 later this month) still couldn't shake his old GM ways and loves to have an inputon his franchise's moves.
Speaking with Mark Stein of the New York Times, West explains his mindset of going against the norm.
“I don’t just want to be a figurehead. You want to be a part of the decision-making process. I don’t have the final decision here, but I do have a voice.”
West signed a two-year deal last summer, and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer said that they would revisit his deal once the contract ended. After seeing his passion and knowledge for the game, Ballmer sees West coming back.
“If he still wants to do it, we can go beyond that. Now that I know him better, I can’t see him retiring.”
And West definitely echoes that same sentiment, citing the same problems retirees often find themselves in.
“I’m not a person that does very well when I don’t have a reason to get up in the morning,”
The Clippers have a bright future with West having a voice in front office decisions, and it could start on Tuesday night with The Logo himself representing Los Angeles in the 2018 NBA Draft lottery. The Clippers are expected to have two picks in the draft, which is only the start of what will be a very busy offseason.
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