CHARLESTON ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” ItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s been 14 years since Jonnie West last suited up for the West Virginia University menÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s basketball team.
Since WestÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s last game in the NCAA tournament, against Kentucky in Florida, he has made quite a name for himself in the NBA in the front office of the Golden State Warriors for the last 12 years.
The former Mountaineer has seen it all in the basketball world, including working alongside his dad, Jerry, from 2012-17.
The Mountain State still calls WestÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s name home, though, and when he does come home, the feeling never skips a beat.
West was the guest speaker at the WVU Scholarship Dinner on Monday at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s like a complete reset every time I come back here,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ West said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s gives me the ability to relax and have a sense that I feel at home. ItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s a place thatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s meant so much to me. I spent so much time here, outside of going to school here.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
West was a part of some memorable teams, seasons and moments during his career in Morgantown, which lasted from 2007-11.
He was a guard on the 2009-10 Mountaineers team that won WVUÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s first Big East tournament title and made the MountaineersÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ second Final Four appearance.
West appeared in 77 games for WVU coach Bob Huggins.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWest Virginia is something thatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s present in my mind and life all the time,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ West said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œYou get a reminder of things when you come back. ThereÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s always a sense of West Virginia in me. I had an amazing time being here. The relationships that IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ve built are ones I still have to this day. Obviously, the success we had as a basketball team while I was here was amazing.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWest Virginia is a great place and means a lot to me, my family and a lot of people that I know.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
The WVU Scholarship Dinner has been an annual event since the 1970s. The dinner is centered on raising funds for a scholarship for a West Virginian to become an athlete at WVU.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œJonnieÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s presentation and personal touch with our guests ensured that this yearÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Charleston Scholarship Dinner was very special,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ said Andy Richardson, chairman of the eventÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s planning committee. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œJonnie reflected about how much the scholarship to WVU impacted the life of his dad.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œJonnieÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s reflections on consciously choosing to attend WVU recounted how that educational decision helped Jonnie develop his own basketball knowledge and crafted his own career path with an executive role in the NBA.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
West followed in the footsteps of his father by playing for the Mountaineers.
The two had a bond on and off the basketball floor that has influenced WestÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s life in many ways.
Jerry West died on June 12, 2024, in California at age 86. The Chelyan native left a lasting impact on the basketball world and the people around him, including his son.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œOne of the things that I did when he passed, and have continued to do so, is talk to a lot of people about him,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ West said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHe had such an impact on a lot of peopleÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s lives, whether it was people that were fans of him or ones that he had a close relationship with. He was just an incredibly generous person with everything, whether it was his time or words. He was giving with a lot of different things. It means a lot to hear things about him.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Jerry West influenced many people during his long tenure in NBA front offices.
The Mountaineer legend was an important piece in assembling the 2000s Lakers, pairing Kobe Bryant and Shaquille OÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™Neal, and starting the Warriors dynasty that won multiple titles during the 2010s.
Jonnie West appreciates the way his father associated with people and listened to everyone.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWhat I take away from him is how he treated people,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ West said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHe never thought that he was bigger than anybody and gave his time to anyone. It didnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t matter who you were, whether you were the owner of the team, player or video intern. He took the time out to know people. The other thing I take away from him was that he was not scared to make big decisions, like hiring or firing a coach, trading a player, signing a player or drafting a player.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHe trusted his instinct, even if sometimes it wasnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t right, but he stuck to it and what he believed in.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
West worked for the Warriors as a scout, director of player programs and director of basketball operations and is now serving as the senior director for pro player personnel.
The former Mountaineer has enjoyed his time in California and impacting the game that he loves.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ve worked with a lot of great people,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ West said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œMy first year was the first year we went to the playoffs (in 2013, which was Golden StateÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s first appearance since 2007) and beat Denver in the first round. That was the start of something really special and being around that group with Stephen (Curry), Draymond (Green) and Klay (Thompson), then Kevin Durant when he was a part of it. IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ve also been around two amazing coaches in Mark Jackson and Steve Kerr.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe have an amazing organization that starts with our ownership group. We have great people to be around, and weÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ve had a lot of success on the court.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
West never shared the floor with Curry, who played at Davidson from 2006-09. The Mountaineers and Wildcats did face each other once, though, when West was in college, coming in 2008 in Madison Square Garden in New York.
Davidson squeezed out a 68-65 victory over West Virginia, but the Mountaineers were without West. West said he and Curry enjoy talking about that time period.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe had just played Cleveland State on December 6, and our next game was against Davidson in the Garden,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ West said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIt was StephÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s last year at Davidson. They had tournament success, and he had an amazing college career. (Joe) Mazzulla had gotten hurt, and he had this weird shoulder injury that we couldnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t figure out. Alex Ruoff had also just had a rib injury. I had just seen my career-high in minutes against Cleveland State.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe had practice the day before we flew to New York, and five minutes into practice, I broke my foot. I always joke with Steph and tell him that the reason why heÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s where heÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s at is because I got hurt and didnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t get the chance to shut him down.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
