The unveiling of the new Jerry West statue drew so many sports legends and luminaries to the Staples Center tribute (see our glimpes of Kurt Rambis, James Worthy, Wayne Gretzky, Bill Russell and Bill Walton...) that we couldn't resist a little tribute of our own.

You see, children, long before there was Kobe and Lebron, or Shaq, or Michael Jordan, or even--for you older tykes-- Wilt Chamberlain...there was Jerry West, who is still considered by many (or at least those who are old enough to know) to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In fact, that's his silhouette  in the NBA logo.

And the statue in front of the Laker's home venue isn't the first one that's been created in his honor.  In 2006, West's alma mater, WVU, commissioned sculptor Jamie Lester to create a cast bronze sculpture of their famous alumni.

For those who might need a reminder of what an extraordinary competitor Jerry West was, here's a nice synopsis of his playing career: