Hall of Famer Jerry West is one of the seminal figures in NBA history for his unique success as a player and a front-office official.
But West’s success as a general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers — he successfully took the chance of trading for Kobe Bryant out of high school — didn’t earn him much respect from Phil Jackson.
“The Zen Master” took over as the Lakers’ head coach during West’s final season with the team. And after reading some snippets from West’s upcoming autobiography “West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life” (hat tip to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News), it’s clear there was little common ground between the two men.
West writes in the book that he was “troubled” by Jackson’s relationship with Jeanie Buss and was put off by much of what Jackson was doing during their season working together in 1999-00.
”So one of the problems I had with Phil was this,” West writes. “His office was right near mine and when he would arrive in the morning, he would walk right past and never even bother to wave or duck his head in to say hello.
“He would later say that he felt the need to stake out his territory, that on top of that he was ’a wack job,’ but I am sure it was more than that.”
It was a similar reach for power as what West experienced under Pat Riley. But Jackson’s bold grab struck West as much colder.
“Phil and I had no relationship,” West writes. “None. He didn’t want me around and had absolutely no respect for me – of that, I have no doubt.”
The inner workings of the Lakers’ organization have always fascinated Spurs Nation because of the intense rivalry between the two franchises.
West’s account provides a better understanding of the Lakers’ franchise after reading it.