Lawrence Frank, President of Basketball Operations of the Los Angeles Clippers, called Jerry West the ‘greatest architect there is in the game.'
In their introductory press conference to welcome Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Frank took the stage and acknowledged several people who have made the Clippers to who they are today. After giving Doc Rivers a rightful shoutout, he thanked West — an executive board member of the Clippers — and described him as the greatest architect in the NBA.
West is widely believed to be the primary orchestrator which led to the simultaneous acquisitions of Leonard and George — two of the best two-way players in the game. It was a deal that nobody saw coming, as everyone thought that Leonard would go on to sign with the Lakers. When he joined the other team in LA and brought George along with him, eyes flocked to West as the man behind the magic.
Way before his time with the Clippers, West was an executive of the Lakers' Showtime teams in the 80s — which not only snagged several titles but also became a cultural feat. He was also responsible for trading for Kobe Bryant in the 1996 draft and getting Shaquille O'Neal and legendary head coach Phil Jackson.
After his tenure with the Lakers, West joined the Memphis Grizzlies, then the Golden State Warriors which he helped turned into a championship team. As an executive, West has a total of eight championship rings, including two trophies for NBA Executive of the Year.
All of the aforementioned details are pretty much some clear evidence why they call Jerry West one of the best, if not the greatest executive in NBA history.
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