The team announced Tuesday that it will hold a ceremony on opening night and will honor the anniversary with a band on the left shoulder of their uniforms throughout the season.
The purple jersey has the number 44 in gold in the center of the patch in tribute to West, a 14-time All-Star who was nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” and an architect of the Showtime era as a team executive. He was 86 years old.
The Lakers won five NBA championships in 12 years under West’s direction, and with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on board, the team reached nine NBA Finals appearances.
West helped the Lakers acquire Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal before leaving the team in 2000 and helping them win another championship.
The Lakers will hold a formal ceremony to honor West during their season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 22. West also played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and Clippers over the last 20 years before his death.
The Lakers also announced Tuesday that they plan to retire Michael Cooper’s No. 21 jersey on Jan. 13.
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