Jerry West’s Personal Life, Siblings, Parents, Wife, Girlfriend, Kids, Other Family and Dating History
Wives:
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- Jerry West was married twice during his life:
- His first marriage was to Martha Kane in 1960, and they divorced in 1976.
- In 1978, he married Karen Bua, and they remained together until his passing in 2024. Karen, who was 25 years younger than Jerry, was reportedly by his side when he died .
- Jerry West was married twice during his life:
Children:
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- Jerry had five children:
- With Martha: David, Mark, and Michael.
- With Karen: Ryan and Jonnie.
- Both Ryan and Jonnie followed in their father’s footsteps, becoming executives in the NBA. Jonnie serves as the director of basketball operations for the Golden State Warriors, while Ryan works with the Detroit Pistons .
- Jerry had five children:
Personal Life
Born on May 28, 1938, in Chelyan, West Virginia, Jerry West was a standout at East Bank High School and later at West Virginia University, leading the Mountaineers to the 1959 NCAA championship game and earning the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player honor. West played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA from 1960 to 1974. His nicknames included “The Logo,” “Mr. Clutch,” “Mr. Outside,” and “Zeke from Cabin Creek.” He was known for his ability to make big plays in key situations, such as his famous buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.
As a player, West was an NBA champion (1972), NBA Finals MVP (1969), 14× NBA All-Star, and had his No. 44 jersey retired by the Lakers. He was also a scoring champion (1970) and assists leader (1972). As an executive, he won 8× NBA championships and was named NBA Executive of the Year twice. West was the co-captain of the 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal team, inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019.
Jerry West passed away on June 12, 2024, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 86.
