The stage was filled with Laker greats when Jerry West made history Sunday night by becoming the first three-time inductee to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The stage was filled with Los Angeles Lakers greats when Jerry West made history Sunday night by becoming the first three-time inductee to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. When one of them had his turn to speak, he could barely get the words out trying to say what West meant to him.

Jerry West, who was a superstar Lakers player and later helped build two seperate dynasties for the Lakers, was inducted into the Hall of Fame again.

The Basketball Hall of Fame also honored super fans Jack Nicholson and Billy Crystal for their dedication to the sport and their teams.

The Lakers' defensive specialist was more than that. "If we don't have Coop, we don't win those series," former Lakers teammate Byron Scott said of five titles.

West is the first to be a three-time inductee; Cooper welcomed for contributions to “Showtime” Lakers championships.

Former Lakers wing Michael Cooper, a five-time NBA champion, is now officially a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

From the moment he stepped onto the stage, Michael Cooper became his own party’s captain and conductor at the 2024 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday.