When you think of a legendary NBA player like Jerry West, it seems impossible to have any regrets. While the salaries in his day don’t quite match up to recent figures, the ranger still earned a significant net worth. He also won a championship as a player, won another six in the front office, and found immortality as inspiration for the NBA logo.
While all of this may be true, West still knows the exact moment he would do if given the chance. Let’s take this walk down memory lane with a living legend.
Jerry West lost a lot of NBA Finals, but would like to bring back the 1962 version
During his time on the hardwoods, Jerry West appeared in nine NBA Finals but only managed to win one championship. While he might reasonably wish to change any of those defeats, one specific moment popped into his mind.
“Oh my gosh,” West said when Dan Patrick asked him what game he would bring back throughout his career. “Oh boy. I think it was probably the first time we played in the NBA Finals, and we beat Game Seven at Boston Garden in overtime. It was there, the match was tied up, and Frank Sylvie, who was playing for us at the time, him and I Backcourt. He made a shot to put us in overtime and he missed one that would have won us. And I’ve always loved moments like this. They teamed up with Elgin Baylor, and we played together, the late Elgin Baylor, who was also a great friend of [Bill Russell]And we couldn’t get the ball.
“You know, people are going to talk about Frank because he missed that shot. I would never talk about him because he made the person that really mattered, and he was a very good shooter. He missed an opportunity that I’m sure many of us would have liked to have. This is a sport. That match Even today, I go to bed and say, “Oh my God, I wish I could have had that in the last shot.” And again, I don’t know if I would or not. It’s something I wish I had the chance to do.”
At the risk of trying to make some impossible assumptions, West could have changed (and made) that shot the course of NBA history. With this early psychological advantage, the Lakers rather than the Celtics may have become the dominant force in the 1960s. Which in turn would have taken some episodes away from Russell; Maybe the big guy would be seen differently if he only won seven or eight episodes instead of 11.
At this point, though, there is no changing history in the NBA. Selvy, not West, took the ball, and the Celtics started one of basketball’s great dynasties.
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