B/R Exclusive: Jerry West on NBA All-Star Game And More at Northern Trust Open
Play at the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades has come under stress from inclement weather, but it would take a lot more than just rain, wind and cloudy skies to keep Jerry West from lighting up a room.
The Los Angeles Lakers legend is currently the executive director of the event and was on hand at the Patriot's Outpost, by the 10th hole at Riviera, to present the Ronald Reagan Foundation with a giant $5,000 check on behalf of the Northern Trust.
I had a chance to catch up with "The Logo" after the presentation while on assignment with Max Flower TV. Read on to see what Mr. Clutch himself had to say about having his own statue, the NBA All-Star Game and playing golf with U.S. presidents.
Jerry West on Having a Statue in His Likeness at the Staples Center
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B/R: What was it like for you having a statue of yourself unveiled at the Staples Center?
Jerry: Well, I never played to have a statue. That’s not the kind of person that I am. That being said, it is a tremendous honor to have them make a statue after me.
The ceremony was wonderful. I was surrounded by people I admired, players and others there that aren’t even in the basketball world, who made it even more special. It was just great.
Mr. Clutch on The Northern Trust Open
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B/R: Tell us about your involvement with the Northern Trust Open and the event here today with the troops and giving back to the Ronald Reagan Foundation.
Jerry: Today has been great, having all these kids out here from the First Tee program from all over, and then also the military, which is nearest and dearest to me.
And again, I feel like I can’t thank the Annenberg Foundation enough for providing this opportunity for our veterans. These are the things I enjoy doing.
The Logo on Presidents and The Founding Fathers
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B/R: Who was your favorite president?
Jerry: Oh my goodness, I’ve had a number of favorite presidents. It would probably be grossly unfair to pick from them, to be honest with you. I mean, I’ve had a number of them.
B/R: Let’s narrow it down to the ones you’ve played golf with.
Jerry: I would say probably the thing that’s most interesting about our presidents is that they’ve all faced different challenges, and as the world has become more complex, they’ve become different kinds of presidents.
At one time, they seemed to be more simple in terms of how they dealt with all the adversities. But today, you have so much more media involved.
We’re here with the Reagan Foundation today, and it was interesting about out there, they have Air Force One at that time and obviously, every once in a while, on the Discovery Channel, you can see Air Force One of today, and it’s just a little bit different. Trust me. Even though it was probably great then."
Some of the presidents I admired, I really admired FDR. I thought at a time when this country was really being faced with a lot of peril, and his ability to speak, on the day of the Pearl Harbor bombing with his speech, "This day will forever live in infamy."
I’ll never forget that speech. I’ve listened to a lot of old speeches because they’re very very interesting. I particularly like Harry Truman because, to me, he kind of reminded me of someone from West Virginia. I liked him a lot.
I think Ronald Reagan was a great president. All of them have faced their struggles.
Obviously, if you read any books on our forefathers, those guys were remarkable. I’ve always said, I think the greatest document ever written is our Constitution. I wish we’d follow it more closely. Those guys were unbelievably way ahead of their time."
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West on NBA All-Star Weekend
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B/R: Best part of the NBA All-Star weekend?
Jerry: I don’t really have an answer to that, because I’ve never, except for being a player, experienced all the hooplah around the day, and that’s probably one of the things that I wouldn’t have wanted to attend anyway.
To me, I would like to see the game become more serious. Instead of 160 or 170 points, I’d rather it become a more serious game.
Jerry West on Fred Couples
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B/R: You’re friends with Fred Couples. To see him out here leading this tournament, given the state that his back is in, what’s that like for you?
Jerry: It’s pretty special. You know, I’ve met a lot of these golfers, but a lot of them I don’t know as well as I know him. I’ve had the chance to play golf with him about three different times.
What you see with him is what you get. He is one of the truly nice people in golf. If they were to take a popularity vote among all the players out here, I think he would be close to a unanimous choice for most popular, but he has such a nice way about him.
I’ve always said, the most disarming thing in the world is a smile, and he’s got a great one, but he’s gracious too.
Quick Questions For Mr. Clutch
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B/R: Lady Gaga is…
Jerry: Lady Gaga…over the top.
B/R: Miniature golf or driving range?
Jerry: Forget miniature golf. That’s no challenge.
B/R: How many Valentine’s Day candies did you eat?
Jerry: None. Zero.
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