Los Angeles Lakers to honor Jerry West with tribute on jerseys during 2024-25 NBA season

West died earlier this year at the age of 86

By Brad Botkin Sep 10, 2024 at 5:23 pm ET• 1 min read

Few athletes in history are more closely connected to a particular franchise than Jerry West is with the Los Angeles Lakers, even if the relationship went sour toward the end. 

As such, the Lakers will wear a black No. 44 band -- the number that West wore during his 14 years as a Lakers player -- on the left shoulder of their jerseys this season in honor or West, who died in June at the age of 86. 

The team will honor Jerry West with a commemorative No. 44 band on their jerseys this season 💜 pic.twitter.com/S8MZ3WN5DB

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 10, 2024

This isn't a one-game thing. The Lakers will wear the band for all 82 regular-season games and presumably any postseason games for which the team qualifies. West deserves it. He was one of the greatest players in franchise history as well as a former coach and supremely successful executive.