Michael Cooper: “My relationship with him goes very deep. You realize, after I retired, I had alcohol and substance abuse points. And Jerry—he was the primary one to drag me to the facet. 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. Typically 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 turned 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. Every 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 dwell our lives to mimic who he was, and I feel a number of us do this.” -via YouTube / February 7, 2025
