Los Angeles Lakers' Jerry West (44) drives around Milwaukee Bucks' Oscar Robertson and Curtis Perry during the NBA playoffs in Milwaukee, April 14, 1972. West used a pick set by Happy Hairston, background, before moving toward the basket. Lakers won 108-105. Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, died Wednesday morning, June 12, 2024, the Los Angeles Clippers announced. He was 86.(AP Photo/File)

WHEELING – Long time sports editor of The Intelligencer, Doug Huff, recalled several of his interactions with the late Jerry West, who tragically passed away Wednesday morning at the age of 86.

Huff, a West Virginia University graduate and sports enthusiast, first saw West play, by coincidence, in 1959 at the old WVU Fieldhouse.

“It was his junior season,” Huff said Wednesday afternoon in a telephone interview. “WVU was recruiting a neighbor of mine from New Martinsville, Jim McCormick. They were going to a game and asked if I wanted to go. I said sure.”

The second time was in the Ohio Valley after the Mountaineers lost in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16.

“It was in the old Tri-State Independent Tournament in Sistersville,” Huff recalled of the premiere amateur basketball tournament back then. “I think it started in the late 1930s and 1940s and some great players came there to play.

“Sine Realty of Paden City always tried to get the best players. They talked Jerry and then-WVU teammate Willie Akers into playing. Their team, believe it or not, lost in the finals to a team from the Cleveland area.”

It was on the banquet circuit where the two crossed paths the most, according to Huff.

“I was inducting Bob Jeter into the 1980 West Virginia Sports Writers Hall of Fame during the Victory Awards Dinner at the Mountainlair Ballroom on the WVU campus and Jerry was also being inducted,” Huff recalled. Rod Thorn, Chuck Howley and Mike Barrett were the other inductees that year.

Twelve years later at another VAD, this one at the then-Wheeling Civic Center, West was supposed to fly in from Los Angeles to induct Akers. However, an earthquake prevented West from making the cross-country flight.

“The dinner was on a Sunday and I was at home on Saturday night when my phone rang,” Huff recalled. “It was Jerry calling to tell me that he would be unable to make it and was wondering if I could present Willie for his induction. I said ‘sure,’ so Jerry slowly read his speech to me and I scribbled it down.

“I told the audience at the banquet that I was probably the only media member to su for Jerry West.”

West and Akers became best friends during their Mountaineer days, with both later serving as best man at each other’s weddings. They had met as youth during Boys State.

Huff also recalled attending the ceremony on Nov. 26, 2005, when West’s No. 44 jersey was retired at the WVU Coliseum. A statue of his likeness was dedicated outside the coliseum on Feb. 14, 2007.

“They were playing LSU and the game started at 4:44 p.m.,” Huff noted of the number retirement.

“The last time I met him was in 2015 at the WVU Library when he was donating a lot of memorabilia.

“He was very cordial. I had my picture taken with him and I still have it on my mantle.”