Jerry West's family says no public memorial for the NBA Hall of Fame player and executive

FILE - Jerry West speaks during a news conference to introduce him as an advisor to the Los Angeles Clippers, in Los Angeles, June 19, 2017. Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, died Wednesday morning, June 12, 2024, the Los Angeles Clippers announced. He was 86.(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — There will be no public memorial for NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West.

“We will honor Jerry’s wishes and mourn his passing privately,” his family said in a statement released Thursday by the Los Angeles Clippers.

West was working as a consultant for the Clippers when he died June 12 at age 86.

He was born in the West Virginia hamlet of Chelyan and starred at West Virginia University from 1957-60 before becoming the second overall pick in the NBA draft by the Minneapolis Lakers. The team relocated to Los Angeles and he became a 14-time All-Star and won the 1972 NBA championship with the Lakers.

“Jerry’s heart never left West Virginia,” the statement said.

The family said West can be honored through donations to four different funds at WVU: the Jerry West Academic Scholarship, the Jerry and Karen West Basketball Scholarship, the Jerry West Scholarship and the university’s children’s hospital building fund.

It was signed by his widow, Karen, and West’s five sons: David, Michael, Mark, Ryan and Jonnie, along with their spouses and children.

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