Former Lakers star Jerry West reflects on loss of Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor in past two years

In the past two years, Jerry West has mourned the deaths of two friends, fellow Hall of Famers and Lakers icons – one a former mentor, the other a star he brought to Los Angeles while working as a team executive.

Elgin Baylor died in March 2021 at age 86, and Kobe Bryant was 41 when he died two years ago Wednesday in a helicopter crash that killed nine people, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna.

In an interview with the New York Times, West, 83, now a consultant with the Los Angeles Clippers, reflected on the grief caused by those deaths.

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Kobe “was just one of those unique players that comes along,” West said. “He had a big personality. He was very bright. He was going to be a bigger success off the court than on the court. He was taken away too young.”

West and Baylor were teammates on the Lakers for 12 seasons from 1960 to 1972, and West called Baylor’s death “unbelievably hurtful.”

“I just was like a baby, I guess. Couldn’t believe it,” West told the Times. “As much as I appreciated him, I didn’t realize the depth of it until the first day. I really did not.

“It was like – I lost my best friend. I lost someone who meant more to me than just a basketball player. For three days I might be doing something – I might be hitting golf balls or chipping golf balls or putting golf balls – and honestly, I would just have to stop.”

West said that two years later, it’s still difficult not to be reminded of the day Bryant died.

“I’ve often wondered if he had lived to, say, Elgin Baylor’s age, or even my age, would people look at him the same way? I’m not sure they would,” West said. “Just the shock and sadness of seeing this very young man’s life taken seemed impossible.”