Today in Performance Sneaker History: Jerry West Retires After 14 Seasons in the NBA

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Complex Original

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On this day in 1974, one of the greatest basketball players of all time hung up his sneakers for good.

Known as Mr. Clutch, NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West spent his entire 14-season career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Remembered for his on-court success, West's legend has been cemented as the iconic NBA logo makes use of his silhouette. Jerry West played professionally from 1960-1974, and was selected as an NBA All-Star each of those 14 seasons. Remarkably, during the Lakers' 1969 Finals loss to the Boston Celtics, West's performance during the series was outstanding enough that he still earned the MVP honors. Years later, in 1972, West enjoyed one of the most successful seasons of his career as he won the All-Star Game MVP honors and also led the Lakers to the 1972 NBA Championship.

Alas, all great things must come to an end, and on October 3, 1974, Jerry West officially retired from the NBA. Throughout his historic career, West scored 25,192 points, which stands as the 16th highest of all time. During the '60s, Jerry West was known for wearing the Converse All-Star, but by '74 he had switched to the equally classic adidas Superstar model. Originally introduced in 1969, the adidas Superstar was one of the most popular on-court sneakers of its time. You can pick up the slightly tweaked Super 2.0 today for $70, although it is not recommended for serious levels of play.

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