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Vanessa Bryant, the wife of late LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, honored franchise legend Jerry West following his death Wednesday morning at age 86.
West, a 14-time All-Star and one-time NBA champion as a player (1972), spent his entire 14-year career with the Lakers. During that span, he established himself as one of the greatest offensive guards in NBA history.
Afterward, West enjoyed an illustrious career as an executive. He won eight more titles with LA (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 2000) and the Golden State Warriors (2015 and 2017). The Hall of Famer also worked as a consultant for the LA Clippers over the past seven years (2017 to 2024) leading up to his death.
During his tenure as the Lakers' general manager, which began in 1982, West was responsible for acquiring Kobe Bryant's 1996 NBA draft rights. So, to honor his memory, Vanessa Bryant shared a 1996 throwback image of the two LA icons on her Instagram story on Wednesday.
Vanessa didn't provide any commentary. However, she added a pair of purple and gold Lakers-colored hearts underneath the photo.
How Jerry West stole Kobe Bryant for the Lakers
Jerry West acquiring Kobe Bryant in the 1996 draft was considered risky, as Bryant was only 17 years old and coming directly out of high school. However, it proved to be what many consider the most important move in LA's franchise history.
After being impressed by Bryant's pre-draft workouts in June of 1996, West offered center Vlade Divac to opposing teams to try to land a lottery pick. Meanwhile, he sought cap space to pursue a big-name target in the historically strong 1996 free-agency class.
West ultimately convinced the Charlotte Hornets to swap the No. 13 pick, which they used on Bryant, for Divac. The deal later became official on July 11, 1996, after the league's moratorium period ended. A week later, on July 18, the Lakers used their extra cap space to sign superstar center Shaquille O'Neal to a seven-year, $120 million free-agency deal.
Bryant and O'Neal went on to form an all-time great inside-out duo. Together, they led LA to three straight titles (2000 to 2002), spearheading a dynasty.
Bryant ultimately spent all 20 seasons of his illustrious career with the Lakers, winning a total of five championships. He also made 18 All-Star appearances and 15 All-NBA teams, winning the 2008 MVP award.
He retired in 2016 as LA's all-time leading scorer (33,643 career points), with many considering him the greatest player in franchise history. Thus, West's gamble to trade for Bryant paid off big-time.
