Jerry West’s recent passing shocked the Golden State Warriors and the rest of the NBA. While many hoops fans dearly remember him for his time as the biggest star of the Los Angeles Lakers, various teams remember him for different things.
Dub Nation especially remembers him as one of the primary architects for the Golden State Warriors teams of the 2010s that completely transformed how the league plays today. His vision to put together a strong core of players and have a talented coach in Steve Kerr pull the strings put together one of the most dominant eras of basketball we have ever seen.
One of the players he valued during his early years with the organization was Klay Thompson. The second Splash Brother was a key player for the Dubs during their dynastic run, with his deadly shooting being the bane of opposing teams at the time.
Warriors fans who knew everything happening inside the team know that Thompson was one of the central figures during one of the most pivotal moments in the team’s history.
Jerry West stopped Klay Thompson from leaving the Golden State Warriors
Dieter Kurtenbach of The Mercury News emphasized West’s hiring as one of the most important moments in the Warriors’ history. He explained that his stubbornness to stick to his vision is what helped the Warriors win four championship banners.
He recounted the moment when the Dubs were looking to offload Thompson to get then-Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love. At the time, Love was an outstanding player in a team that couldn’t properly build around him.
Kerr and West agreed that Klay was too valuable for the Warriors to let go, and The Logo put his foot down in keeping the guard in Oakland:
At the time, Love was a three-time All-Star coming off a season in which he averaged 26 points and 12 rebounds a game. The consensus thought was that adding him — even at the cost of Thompson — would take the Dubs, who were knocking on the door of contention in the Western Conference, over the top.
New Warriors coach Steve Kerr disagreed, but he was outnumbered among the team’s brain trust. Until West came in and put his foot down.
West threatened to quit if the Warriors traded Thompson. He saw the future of the league and knew Golden State would deeply regret trading a shooter of his caliber, the perfect backcourt partner to Steph Curry.
Both Kerr and West were eventually proven right as Thompson became a key cog in the Warriors dynasty. His incredible accuracy from long range and his defensive prowess was the key that helped the Dubs stop the LeBron James-led Cavaliers multiple times. That Cavs team had Love, the man they were targeting to get.
The Golden State Warriors wouldn’t be able to achieve the things they did if it wasn’t for Jerry West. His presence will be greatly missed in The Bay.
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