Jerry West still is a reluctant sports hero

Jerry West still is a reluctant sports hero

Describing Jerry West is a little like analyzing molecules. Always has been.
He is a contradiction to contradictions, a right turn on a racing oval. Over the years, fittingly so, he spent most of his time with basketball players. It might have worked better had it been Sigmund Freud.
Make no mistake. West is popular and likable. He is well-spoken, well-read, incredibly proficient in most walks of life. He is 70 years old, still tall and slim and athletic, still able to beat his age in golf occasionally, still revered by the public in general and Lakers fans in particular.

latimes.com
11/4/08