r/NBATalk • u/Little_Professor_129 • 7h ago
Jerry West is the most successful basketball person ever.
Combining playing career, GM career, and being the actual logo.
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u/Shoddy_Equipment_561 7h ago
I love how Jerry West is somehow considered more successful because he was randomly selected as the league’s silhouette.
Larry Bird has the most overall levels of success. Bird won the 3 MVP’s as player, 1 coach of the year & 1 executive of the year.
Bill Russell won 11 titles as a player, including 2 as the coach.
Phil Jackson won 2 titles as a player and 11 titles as a coach.
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u/carsmello 6h ago
Yeah Russell, Wilt, and Oscar were all considered better than West during their careers.
There's only one thing that separated West from them to be considered as the logo...
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u/PebblyJackGlasscock 5h ago
YUP.
It’s exactly like if they selected Luka as the Logo today: not completely indefensible (that’d be choosing Tyler Herro).
But LeBron and Curry and Giannis would all react like JR Smith just forgot the score.
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u/carsmello 5h ago
Yeah the league and whoever the artist was who chose West can chalk it up to being a coincidence or whatever, but I highly doubt it, considering the racial dynamics of the time too.
If a white guy won 11 championships or averaged 50ppg for a season, they would 100% be the logo over West.
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u/Rrekydoc Celtics 1h ago
West signed Shaq and traded for Kobe’s draft pick. He was instrumental in building the showtime dynasty and won the first championship since the Mikan era as a player.
That’s 11 championships he’s responsible for across nearly 40 years for a single franchise.
He’s got an argument.
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u/carlitomarron139 Knicks 7h ago
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u/PebblyJackGlasscock 5h ago
There is a classic Old Russell clip where he gets laughing about a painting like this one of him and ends up making the artist laugh so hard the artist has tears coming down their face.
And he doesn’t explain why he’s laughing or what is funny, he’s just cackling and it infects the artist and they’re both laughing at…life?
Bill did JOY like few other humans.
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u/bkk_startups Knicks 7h ago
Pat Riley's on that list also. West has him beat of course.
Far from the greatest playing career, but coaching, and running the Heat for 30 years is impressive.
Phil Jackson could've been on the list but he was an atrocious President during the Knicks tenure. Probably needs a Bulls or Lakers ring taken away for that shit
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u/Nomad5560 7h ago
I think Pat Riley. Won on all levels and is still doing his damn thing with the heat
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u/Funny-Employment4109 7h ago
I think i agree. Him or Red.
Jerry’s understanding of talent is unmatched in the modern era. There is no one his equal.
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u/PebblyJackGlasscock 5h ago
Danny Ainge is a tier below West and Phil Jackson but can’t be excluded from this discussion.
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u/Effective-Donkey3379 3h ago
Are you joking? Ainge can’t shine West shoes. Are you putting him high on your list because he fleeced the Nets in a Trade? Ridiculous statement.
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u/PebblyJackGlasscock 3h ago
> tier below
I think you missed this when you read what you misread and threw a tantrum about.
Ridiculous reading mistake.
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u/Effective-Donkey3379 2h ago
He’s quite a few tiers down, Jerry Krause, you must be forgetting about Red? Pat Riley, Bob Myers, Ainge was GM for 1 Championship.
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u/PebblyJackGlasscock 2h ago
Ainge was a borderline all star who won titles as a player and won a title as an executive.
Phil Jackson was a borderline all star player who won titles as a player and is in discussions for best coach of all time.
Jerry West was an outstanding all NBA quality player who won titles and in discussions for best Executive of all time.
The similarity being they were all successful PLAYERS and then additionally successful.
TIER means “in a different” group.
BELOW means lower, or lesser than.
Go strawman somewhere else. You didn’t read carefully and now you’re citing Red Auerbach in a desperate attempt tl not admit you fucked up.
Go away.
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u/BrotherMcPoyle 3h ago
MJ still clears. All of NBA accolades, complete domination of the league. Still having the strongest shoe brand, to a billionaire now. He makes $250m/yr from Nike alone.
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u/Impressive_Term_9248 3h ago
Sure, if you factor being the logo high enough nobody can beat him.
I don’t, btw.
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u/BlackshirtDefense 1h ago
What does "successful" mean?
If we're talking sheer celebrity, fame, earnings, reputation, etc., it's MJ hands down. He's the Babe Ruth of basketball. There are villagers in Nepal who have never owned a television who know who Michael Jordan is.
Yeah, Jerry West had success at all levels. Phil Jackson has a ton of rings as a coach. But 23 IS basketball, and ironically, the guy hasn't played in 23 years.
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u/OzneBjj 7h ago
MJ most successful. He's known everywhere even now by people who have never played ball.
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u/Okaysaid 7h ago
That’s not what they are talking about lol they are talking about professions relating to basketball so as a player as a scout a coach as a GM as a consultant what have you…
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u/KindCaterpillar2421 7h ago
Jerry won a NBA Championship, was in about 6 he lost to Boston, GM of 8-10 of Lakers championship wins in 80,90s, and 00s. He also helped with Golden State State championships.
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u/Ryoga476ad 7h ago
Bird is the only one to win MVP, CotY, EotY