Jerry West became the first to be inducted three times when Carter and Billups were inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame

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 someone’s turn to speak, he could barely get the words out as he tried to say what the West meant to him.

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

No wonder Johnny West said about his father He died in June at the age of 86: “Jerry West was loved by almost everyone in basketball.”

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

Even as he prepared to resign in 2020 at age 43, Carter had trouble using the word “retire.” He said that changed after a conversation with Kobe Bryant during his final season in which Bryant assured him that life after playing was great. Shortly after, Carter reached an agreement, saying he would retire.

“Because Kobe Bryant let me see it, it was okay,” Carter said.

The class also included high-scoring Phoenix star Walter Davis and former Knicks champion Dick Barnett, along with the WNBA’s Simon Augustus and Michelle Thames. Doug Collins and Pacers owner Herb Simon were enlisted as contributors, along with amateur-level coaches Bo Ryan, Harley Redden and Charles Smith.

The honor West received was for his work as a contributor, largely in recognition of the eight championships he helped the Lakers win as an executive.

“A contributor to the game of basketball is literally you and will live forever,” said Johnny West, with Lakers superstars like Magic Johnson and James Worthy joining Cooper, with coach Pat Riley close by.

West was actually selected for a career with the Lakers that 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 the most unparalleled careers in basketball.

“Icon of our game,” said Cooper, who brought Riley and Johnson back to the stage chanting “Cooop!” along with fans as he returned to pay tribute.

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

Thanks to 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 voted the franchise’s Most Valuable Player as a point guard on a team that included Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton, and Tayshaun Prince.

“We affectionately called ourselves the Five Best Alive and no one told us any different,” Billups said.

Billups had a rocky start to his career, lasting only half a season in Boston before being traded to the Celtics with the third overall 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 for the player nicknamed… “Mr”. “Big Shot” hangs in the rafters.

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

Carter has finished with a lot in his career, which he said included 261 teammates. It started out as a high-flying phenom in Toronto in 1999, where he joined forces with his cousin and current Hall of Famer, Tracy McGrady. They only learned they were linked a short while ago, and Carter said when McGrady called to tell him the news, he said, “Because I’m going to make sure the Raptors draft 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 on many teams and after many years, when he was no longer a top level player.

He thanked the fans who watched him over the years, whether they cheered or booed.

“Man, it’s been an honor to fly in recreational arenas,” Carter said.

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