Lakers Legends enshrined

Laker Legends Michael Cooper (Player) & Jerry West (Contributor) were enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2024 for their significant contributions to the sport on and off the court.  To celebrate the next group of the sport’s iconic figures, Lakers HOFers Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, Pau Gason, Magic Johnson, and James worthy joined the enshrinement ceremony alongside other notable Lakers.

The Lakers produced a short tribute video highlighting the impact of Michael Cooper and the late Jerry West on the game of Basketball.  Narrated by Michael Cooper, the video opens with the statement, “What do you get with a love of the game?  Drawing parallels, the 60 second visual features highlights of both of their careers.  Additionally, Jack Nicholson was recognized by the Naismith Memorial Basketball HOF as a SuperFan; a serendipitous addition as Nicholson is synonymous with the Showtime Lakers.

Los Angeles will continue celebrating the legacies of Cooper & West throughout the 2024-25 season. The Lakers will honor Jerry West on 10/22 as they open their 24-25 NBA Season -V- Minnesota.  Recognizing the significant contributions West made to the organization as a player and executive across three decades, the team will wear a commemorative No.44 band on the left shoulder of its uniform this season.  Jerry West is the only player to earn entry in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and contributor, and U.S. Olympian.  In addition, the Lakers will retire Cooper’s No. 21 jersey when they host the San Antonio Spurs 1/13/25 at Crypto.com Arena.