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Report: Jerry West considered rejoining the Lakers before they hired Magic Johnson

Jerry West
Feb 20, 2016; Morgantown, WV, USA; Former West Virginia Mountaineer Jerry West looks on during the game between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Oklahoma Sooners at the WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Jerry West is an institution with the Los Angeles Lakers. One of the greatest players in franchise history, he also oversaw a team that won eight NBA titles with him as an executive. It’s a span that included the Showtime Lakers of the 1980s and the Kobe Bryant-led squad that won three consecutive titles earlier this century.

For Lakers fans, it must be weird seeing the NBA’s logo (literally) acting as an adviser for the cross-state rival Golden State Warriors — a team that has now earned three consecutive trips to the Finals and is being compared to the Lakers of the 80s.

Unfortunately for fans in Southern California, a reunion between West and the Lakers doesn’t seem to be in the cards.

According to Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News, West considered a return to the Lakers as an adviser before the team hired Magic Johnson to be its new president.

“A few months ago, a source close to West indicated he might be intrigued if the Lakers were interested in bringing him on in an advisory role,” Kawakami reported. “But with the advent of Magic Johnson’s takeover and the hiring of new GM Rob Pelinka, that does not seem to be a possibility and I don’t think West would be interested any more even if it was.”

Considering Magic himself has no front office experience, it’s going to be interesting to see how he shapes the Lakers’ roster moving forward. For West, he’s been a central figure in the Warriors’ going from laughingstock to perennial NBA title contender. Needless to say, West himself is probably happy with his situation in the Bay Area.

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