Jerry West

In his first year as executive director of the Northern Trust Open, Jerry West said he had a new appreciation for both the talent of golfers and the perseverance of golf fans. West said Sunday that he understood the nerves of tournament winner Steve Stricker , who had seemed uncomfortable having a six-shot lead going into the final 18 holes. "It's different when you're part of a team sport," basketball legend West said. "You get a lead in basketball and it seems a lot easier to really kick some butt."

If the Lakers make the playoffs, which looks more and more likely, Jerry West has an idea of how they'd do. "I definitely wouldn't want to play them, I know that," West said on a conference call with reporters Thursday. "I think they'd have a chance against anyone. " West, a Hall of Fame player for the Lakers and now an executive with Golden State, said there were certain teams the Lakers (36-33) wouldn't want to play. Oklahoma City and San Antonio weren't mentioned. "I think if the Lakers would have their preference, they probably wouldn't want to play Denver.

Jerry West was one of the greatest Lakers of all time, helping the franchise win its first title in Los Angeles in 1972. West was the team's general manager who brought Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant together in 1996. Now he's with the Golden State Warriors with an ownership stake and a team that is suddenly looking like a playoff contender. Speaking to Investor's Business Daily , West said of his love of basketball: "I've never worked a day in my life. " Of course the opposite is true, even if his line of work represents a lifelong individual passion.

Playing the game of basketball, in a city that didn't notice or care at first, they were joined at the hip. Still are. Elgin Baylor and Jerry West were the basement cement blocks on the ritzy high-rise building now known as the Los Angeles Lakers. Long before much of the ga-ga masses who now worship the Purple and Gold were even born, Baylor and West were piling bricks and spreading plaster.

Bob Boozer, a former Laker and U.S. Olympic teammate of Jerry West, died Saturday due to a brain aneurysm. His wife, Ella Boozer, told the Associated Press that her husband died Saturday after becoming ill the previous evening while having dinner with friends. He was 75. The highlights of the 6-foot-8 Boozer's NBA career mostly center on his time with the Chicago Bulls and with the Milwaukee Bucks (with whom he won his only NBA championship before retiring in 1971). But Boozer also has connections with the Lakers, who acquired him from the New York Knicks in October 1965 for Dick Barnett.

The Golden State Warriors released a statement from former Lakers All-Star and general manager Jerry West regarding Jerry Buss, who died on Monday. “This is an extremely sad day for me," said West.  "As I have said many times, I have been blessed to work for Jerry Buss, the most successful owner in basketball history. His incredible commitment and desire to build a championship-caliber team that could sustain success over a long period of time has been unmatched. "With all of his achievements, Jerry was without a doubt one of the most humble men I've ever been around.

The Miami Heat lost to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, marking the end of their 27-game win streak. That means the Lakers still hold the record for the most consecutive wins for a major U.S. professional team after winning 33 games in a row over more than two months during the 1971-72 season. Laker great Jerry West, who was a guard on that team, told ESPN on Wednesday that he thought the Heat were going to surpass the Lakers' record. "I really thought they were going to do it," West told the website.

The Lakers are still in ninth place in the Western Conference standings, but with 21 games left in the regular season are still close to climbing into the top eight. Former Lakers star and executive Jerry West, who is currently an executive board member for the Golden State Warriors, thinks the team will land a post-season berth. "The Lakers are playing better now, especially defensively," West told the website SportsOnEarth.com on Sunday. "I think they'll make the playoffs.

Jerry West is rooting for the Miami Heat to keep winning, even if it means the former Lakers great loses one of his top legacies. West said during a teleconference with reporters Thursday that he wouldn't mind if the Heat broke the Lakers' NBA record of 33 consecutive victories set during the 1971-72 season, when West was their starting point guard. The Heat has won 24 consecutive games after rallying from a 27-point deficit Wednesday to beat Cleveland. “Honestly, I think they've got an incredible chance to do it,” West said.

If the Lakers make the playoffs, which looks more and more likely, Jerry West has an idea of how they'll do. "I definitely wouldn't want to play them, I know that," West said. "I think they'd have a chance against anyone. " A Hall of Fame player with the Lakers and now an executive with the Golden State Warriors, West mentioned two teams the Lakers wouldn't want to face. The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs were not among them. "I think if the Lakers would have their preference, they probably wouldn't want to play Denver.