West, Jerry Alan

1938 - Born on the 28th of May in Cheylan, west Virginia.

1959 - He was a standout in high school and at college, attending West Virginia University and leading it to the NCAA championship game (of which he was named Most Valuable Player) before embarking on a 14-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

1960 - He also played for, and co-captained with Oscar Robertson, the U.S. Olympic gold medal team in Rome.

1971 - 1972 - Played in nine NBA Finals, but finished his career with only one championship.

1976 - 1979 - Became a coach who carried the Lakers into the playoffs in his three seasons, after which he was hired as an executive for the club in various positions.

1980 - He was named to the NBA's 35th Anniversary All-Time Team.

1982 - He was named general manager of the Lakers, and through shrewd trades and draft picks, maintained the Lakers' status in the NBA elite for the rest of the decade.

1996 - He was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.

2002 - He was hired as President of Basketball Operations by the Memphis Grizzlies.

2005 - His number 44 became the first basketball number to be retired by West Virginia University.

2007 - A bronze statue of him was honored outside of the WVU Coliseum.

         - He sold his Memphis home to Michael Heisley's Hoops LP company for $3.7 million dollars.