West Says He Thought About Quitting Lakers

Exhausted by the pursuit of Shaquille O’Neal and angered at the accusations that accompanied it, Jerry West said Saturday he seriously considered quitting as executive vice president of the Lakers in the summer before deciding to return for a 15th season in charge of basketball operations.

“I think it was a serious thing,” he said. “I couldn’t sleep, continued to lose weight, which was probably the best thing about it, but emotionally I was spent. I’m not sure, maybe the average person doesn’t understand how you can care about something like this happening and wanting something to happen so bad. But it was a very personal thing for me.

“There were times, even after it was over with, that I just didn’t think I had this in me any more. But getting away from it, and with so many very, very encouraging letters from our fans and people, that makes you feel better about yourself. You’re appreciative of those things. That somewhat has, I think, put that to rest, for a while anyway.”

West considered the July 18 signing of O’Neal one of the greatest moments in franchise history, even if he wasn’t celebrating much. The emotional strain of trying to land the superstar center was a process he called “very bothersome, very, very distasteful,” largely because of the tampering accusations leveled against the Lakers by fans and the media, some before free-agent bidding had even started. He didn’t try to hide that, in addition to the actual work that went into the deal, it had taken “a horrible toll” on him.

He was asked at the time if he could heal.

“I don’t know about that,” came the response.

Then came a vacation to his native West Virginia, then a trip to Maui with his wife just before training camp opened here Friday. Then came another season.

“It’s the only thing I really know,” he said of the decision to return. “I don’t know anything else. The one thing I know about myself, I need to be busy. Sometimes it’s not physical but it’s emotional. When you have those kinds of considerations, I’d be lost if I wasn’t doing something that at least I’d been involved in for quite a while and maybe more importantly feel like I can make a contribution.”

West, 58, is regarded as one of the best executives in any sport and has the second-longest tenure in the league as head of basketball operations, behind only Jerry Colangelo of the Phoenix Suns.

His 14 years as general manager and, since 1995, executive vice president includes NBA championships in 1985, ’87 and ‘88, seven trips to the finals in all, and being named Executive of the Year for 1994-95, after his drafting of Eddie Jones, trade for Cedric Ceballos and hiring of Del Harris as coach turned the Lakers from lottery team into Western Conference contenders within a season.