Michael Cooper: “My relationship with him goes very deep. You understand, after I retired, I had alcohol and substance abuse points. And Jerry—he was the primary one to tug me to the aspect. He was like, ‘Coop, what’s occurring?’ And he understood it. So I went and spent 45 days at John Lucas’s rehab facility down in Houston—probably one of the best things I ever did to turn my life around. Generally we get led astray by various things, and Jerry West was capable of see that in me. He caught it early earlier than my points grew to become even larger—earlier than I couldn’t deal with them.” “So I went down there, took care of it, got here again, and I nonetheless had a job. He was nonetheless rooting for me. And till the day he died, I spoke to him. Per week earlier than he handed away, we talked. Jerry and I have been very, very shut. Relaxation in peace—he’s going to be missed. However once more, we attempt to stay our lives to mimic who he was, and I believe loads of us do this.” -via YouTube / February 7, 2025