Jerry West was part of the Los Angeles Lakers as a player, coach and an executive, but he had a complicated and acrimonious relationship with the franchise later in life.
“I almost wish that I had never played or worked for them,” West told ESPN in 2020.
The issues came to a head in 2019 when the Lakers parted ways with Ryan West, who is one of Jerry’s sons. Ryan West had spent 10 years with the Lakers and was director of player personnel. The dismissal came a few weeks after the LA Clippers, who were employing Jerry West as a consultant, signed Kawhi Leonard and also traded for Paul George.
Jerry West considered the exit of Ryan from the Lakers as collateral damage in his clash with members of the Lakers.
“It’s like a soap opera,” a former longtime Lakers executive said. “There is fallout, which is hurtful. Ryan, to me, it looks like he paid the price for all this pettiness.”
Later in 2019, the Lakers took away West’s four season tickets without informing him of the decision in advance. West’s tickets were promised to him by Dr. Jerry Buss in 2000.
Some of the fractures in West’s relationship with the Lakers began when they hired Phil Jackson in 1999. Kurt Rambis had previously served as interim head coach and thought he would get the job. Jackson also eventually began a romantic relationship with Jeanie Buss, which West privately expressed concerns about.
Over the subsequent years as West worked for the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and then the Clippers, comments from both sides were taken out of context or were either real or perceived slights that made the situation more toxic.