3. Jerry West

The man is the logo of the league for crying out loud. I could leave it right there but I won’t. Jerry West has made himself an integral part of the NBA for life. He’s earned the nickname Mr. Clutch for his ability to make high pressure shots like they were nothing. He also played for the same team for his entire career which is a rarity as you get closer to today.

Personally I’m not old enough to remember Jerry West playing, I just remember my father talking about him with a lot of fondness, and watching old footage of him play on ESPN Classic. If you think that the Lakers is one of the greatest sports franchises ever, then look no further than Jerry West for the reasoning behind that claim. Not only did West play for the team and bring them several winning seasons and a championship, he also brought them players like Magic Johnson and yes Kobe Bryant. A great deal of the Lakers success over the last few decades can be attributed to Jerry West.