Author: Dave McMenamin

Lakers to have No. 44 on uniforms in West's honor

Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff WriterSep 10, 2024, 03:38 PM ET

CloseLakers and NBA reporter for ESPN. Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.Open Extended Reactions

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers will honor Jerry West’s No. 44 for all 82 games this upcoming season.

The team will wear a band with West’s No. 44 on the left shoulder of their uniforms for the 2024-25 season, the Lakers announced Tuesday.

West, who played all 14 years of his Hall of Fame career with the Lakers and later served as a coach and highly successful executive with the organization, 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

Considered one of the greatest shooting guards

LeBron, AD's quest and trades? What lies ahead for the Lakers

Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff WriterSep 12, 2024, 08:15 AM ET

CloseLakers and NBA reporter for ESPN. Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.Open Extended Reactions

In April, after the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a second straight playoff defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, LeBron James was asked if he had played his last game with the franchise.

“I’m not going to answer that,” James replied.

James let his signature do the talking in July, when the 39-year-old superstar inked a two-year, $104 million contract extension.

However, more questions have surfaced after a consequential summer that saw the team replace coach Darvin Ham with JJ Redick and select Dalton Knecht and Bronny James on draft night.

And, thanks to a string of role players exercising options on their contracts, the