The stage was filled with Laker greats when Jerry West made history Sunday night by becoming the first three-time inductee to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
When one of them had his turn to speak, he could barely get the words out trying to say what West meant to him.
"He's a friend and a mentor, and I owe him more than he could ever understand," Michael Cooper said while choking back tears.
No wonder Jonnie West said of his father, who died in June at 86 "Jerry West was beloved 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 appear in four decades and his 22 seasons are an NBA record.
