[-STAT-]

Obviously sad news of his passing yesterday, one of the all time great players & general managers 

Probably the only one to ever be as good of an executive as he was a player. Architect of the showtime dynasty in the 80's, bringing in Shaq in the mid 90's, and trading for Kobe Bryant. 

Also a huge part in putting together the Golden State Warriors team that has owned the 2010's. 

Another legend of the game gone, alongside Bill Walton just a few weeks ago.  RIP to the logo. 

[Old School Hound]

One of the best basketball players I ever watched play. He played the game the way I like to see it played. Those signature drives to the basket , the way he could dish the rock , and that beautiful jumper. Only Bird is comparable for me.

[Spud6]

The logo and did a lot for players in the league still today as far mentorship goes

[-STAT-]

Idk if anyone subscribes to The Athletic on here, but there are some great articles about the type of person Jerry West was, not only as a player, but more so after his playing days as a coach, GM & executive.

[Granny Bear]

Most importantly, as a human being!!

[Old School Hound]

You all have heard me talk about Frank Selvy a lot. Frank  is probably the best basketball player, certainly the most successful one, to ever come out of eastern Kentucky and probably the entire Commonwealth.  Of Course, Frank is a product of my school, Corbin High School. Frank was a standout at Corbin in the late 40's,  then in college at Furman in the early 50's , where he scored 100 points in a single game.  He was also the #1 draft pick in the NBA draft in 1954. He made two NBA All-Star teams.

Why am I talking about Frank in a Jerry West thread? Well, what many people are not aware of is that Frank was a teammate of Jerry West with the Lakers. Frank played his final four NBA seasons with the Lakers. In the '61/ '62 season, the Corbin legend  averaged 14.7/5.2/4.8 for the Lakers. Frank and Jerry West were the Lakers backcourt in Game 7 of the  '62 NBA finals against the Celtics. Frank led a furious last minute Lakers comeback by scoring four points in a span of 20 seconds to tie the game at 100. Then came "the shot."  West and Elgin Baylor were double-teamed by the Celtics defense  and Frank had the ball in his hands as time winded down. His 18-footer from the baseline bounced off the rim and the game went to overtime, where the Celtics won yet another title.

Frank, with a make of the 18- foot baseline shot could have ended the Celtic dynasty and changed the course of NBA history. Frank had a good NBA career but will long be be remembered for "the shot" that would have changed history. And now you know...THE REST... OF THE STORY . 

 West has said in interviews that this is the one game that has kept him up at nights. While he would have liked to have taken that shot, he acknowledges that he was double teamed and Frank had hit the tying shot a few seconds earlier.  Here's a quote about those last seconds I found from an interview that West did:


“You know, people will talk about Frank for missing that shot. I will never talk about him because he made the one that really mattered… he missed a shot that I’m sure a lot of us would have liked to have. That’s sports. That game, I just, even today, I go to bed and say, ‘Oh my gosh, I wish I coulda had that for that last shot.’ And, again, I don’t know if I would have made it or not. It’s something that I wish I had the opportunity to do."   ---- Jerry West

---

Laker teammates,  Frank Selvy and Jerry West.  RIP to both of these basketball legend, one a Mountaineer from the tiny town of Chelyan , West Virginia and the other, a small town boy from Corbin. Thanks for the memories...

Jerry, top row on the left(#44) .  Frank, same row (#11) .


[Image: https://www.latimes.com/includes/project...1_1962.jpg]

[jetpilot]

Great stuff OSH.

True story, my dad went to the final 4 in 1959 which was held in Louisville. It was Louisville, California, West Virginia and Cincinnati. WVU had Jerry West and Cincinnati had Oscar Robertson. California won it all and my dad said they had the worst team of all four. Still, seeing Jerry West and Oscar Robertson in the Final 4 to me is super cool.

RIP Jerry West.

[Old School Hound]

Great stuff OSH.

True story, my dad went to the final 4 in 1959 which was held in Louisville. It was Louisville, California, West Virginia and Cincinnati. WVU had Jerry West and Cincinnati had Oscar Robertson. California won it all and my dad said they had the worst team of all four. Still, seeing Jerry West and Oscar Robertson in the Final 4 to me is super cool.

RIP Jerry West.

The Big O and  Jerry, two of the best to ever play the game. Your dad was a lucky man to see them play in person.

[Old School Hound]

Just to clarify. Jerry's teammate, Frank Selvy is still alive and kicking at age 91. Sorry, Frank, for kicking your bucket prematurely. I was thinking about another Corbin legend, Rodger Bird, who passed a few years ago. Rodger was the reason the Oakland Raiders were my first football love. Bird was a return specialist and defensive back for the Raiders in the late 60's.

Frank lives in South Carolina. Simpsonville, I believe.

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Jerry's teammate, Corbin native, Frank Selvy, at Furman a couple years ago:

[Image: https://www.furman.edu/news/wp-content/u...t-game.jpg]

[Old School Hound]

Wouldn't it be something if the man who once scored 100 points in a single college game lived to be 100 years old? You go, Frank!!!