Jerry West will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame three times for the first time

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — The stage was packed with Laker greats as Jerry West made history Sunday night by becoming the first three-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

When it was one of them's turn to speak, he could barely get the words out, trying to express what West meant to him.

“He is a friend and a mentor, and I owe him more than he could ever understand,” Michael Cooper said, choking back tears.

No wonder Jonnie West said of his father: “Who died in June at the age of 86: “Jerry West was loved by pretty much everyone in basketball.”

Cooper was enshrined as part of the 13-member class led by Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups. Carter is the only player to serve in four decades, and his 22 seasons are an NBA record.

Even as he prepared to retire in 2020 at age 43, Carter had difficulty using the word “retire.” That changed, he said, after a conversation with Kobe Bryant during his final season, in which Bryant assured him that life after playing was wonderful. Shortly thereafter, Carter came to the conclusion that he would retire.

“Because Kobe Bryant allowed me to see that it was OK,” Carter said.

The class also included high-scoring Phoenix star Walter Davis and former Knicks champion Dick Barnett, with Seimone Augustus and Michele Timms making it out of the WNBA. Doug Collins and Pacers owner Herb Simon were added as contributors, along with amateur coaches Bo Ryan, Harley Redin and Charles Smith.

This honor for West was for his work as a contributor and particularly recognized the eight championships he helped the Lakers win as a leader.

“A contribution to the game of basketball is what you are in every way and that will live on forever,” Jonnie West said as Lakers Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and James Worthy joined Cooper while coach Pat Riley was nearby.

West had already been inducted for his playing career with the Lakers, which began in 1960, and then again in 2010 as a member of the 1960 U.S. team that won an Olympic gold medal at the start of one of basketball's most unprecedented careers.

“The logo. The icon of our game,” said Cooper, who brought Riley and Johnson back on stage and shouted “Cooop!” along with fans as he returned to his own worship.

West loved finding and mentoring players for the Lakers, from a No. 60 pick and defensive specialist from New Mexico like Cooper to a high school teenager like Bryant.

Aided by West's acquisition of Bryant and the signing of Shaquille O'Neal in 1996, the Lakers won three straight championships from 2000 to 2002. Billups led the Detroit Pistons to an upset of the Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals and was named series MVP as a point guard on a team that included Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince.

“We affectionately called ourselves the best five in the world and no one would tell us otherwise,” Billups said.

Billups had a difficult start to his career, spending just half a season in Boston before the Celtics traded the No. 3 pick in the 1997 draft. He didn't last much longer in Toronto or Denver, but eventually found his place in Detroit, where the No. 1 jersey was worn by the player nicknamed “Mr. “Big Shot” hangs in the rafters.

“I never thought I would need a second home, but I have one in Detroit,” Billups said.

Carter had a lot to offer in his career, including, he said, 261 teammates. It started as a high-flying phenom in Toronto in 1999, where he joined his cousin and now-fellow Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady. It was only recently that they learned they were related, and Carter said that when McGrady called to tell him the news, he said, “Because I'm going to make sure the Raptors take you. I got you.”

“Here we are today,” Carter added.

His dunks, whether in slam dunk contests, the Olympics or just regular season games, made Carter must-see television early in his career. He enjoyed remaining a productive player for many teams and many years later, when he was no longer quite the high flyer.

He thanked the fans who had watched him over the years, both those who cheered and those who booed.

“Man, it’s been an honor flying into arenas for your entertainment,” Carter said.

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