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LA Lakers legend Jerry West was one of the most admired and respected NBA players in the history of the league. He is the man whose silhouette makes up the NBA logo. He spent 14 seasons in the league and was selected for the All-Star game every season that he played.
On this day in 1962, the Hall of Famer scored 63 points against the New York Knicks to secure an eight-point win over the Empire State franchise. He achieved the feat at just 23 years old in what was his sophomore season in the league after putting up a swell rookie season. His outstanding performance on the night went on to be the best outing of his career as it would be his only 60-point game.
He registered a free-throw accuracy of 86.4%, netting 19 of 22 attempts from the charity stripe, while scoring 22 of 36 field goal attempts, thereby recording a field goal percentage of .611. He also registered three rebounds and three assists while leading his team to a 129-121 victory.
Jerry West was responsible for almost half of the total points recorded by the Lakers, with none of his teammates attaining 20+points, as Rudy LaRusso and Jim Krebs each put up 19 points. The Lakers had a good run in the 1961-62 season, ultimately winning the Western Division, however, they went on to lose in the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics in a seven-game stretch.
A retrospect into the career of Jerry West
Jerry West was selected by the LA Lakers as the first round pick in the 1960 NBA draft. On Oct. 19, 2021, he had his first game for the Lakers, coming off the bench to represent the franchise against the Cincinnati Royals, posting 20 points, two rebounds and five assists. He didn't miss a shot from the free throw line, sinking in all six attempts while registering a 43.8% field goal accuracy.
In the 1968-69 postseason, Jerry West was awarded the NBA Finals MVP after an outstanding performance in the Finals against the Boston Celtics, who went on to win the title. He recorded the most points per game in the playoffs, posting 30.9 points per outing. He led the league in scoring in 1970 and in assists in 1972, while winning his first and only NBA championship title in 1972 alongside Wilt Chamberlain.
He was also selected into the All-NBA First Team 12 times. He retired from the game after a superb career in 1974 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980.
Guess the Lakers players!
