Kenya Barris on His New Documentary, ‘Jerry West: The Logo’
No single determine casts a shadow throughout the NBA’s almost 80 years of existence fairly like Jerry West.
West, who died in 2024 at 86, elevated the league throughout its wobbly would-it-survive-or-not early days when his Los Angeles Lakers misplaced championships considerably yearly to the Boston Celtics. Then he was the architect behind the storied Showtime Lakers of the Nineteen Eighties, resulting in a portrayal of him a long time later as a ranting, raging government within the HBO sequence “Winning Time.” (West asked for a retraction; HBO stood by its present.)
He returned the Lakers to glory by pairing Shaquille O’Neal with Kobe Bryant and later helped recruit Kevin Durant to the Warriors, cementing Golden State’s fashionable dynasty.
Even those that suppose they don’t seem to be acquainted with West doubtless are in at the least a method: The NBA’s brand, of a silhouetted participant mid-dribble, is modeled after West, a proven fact that the league’s commissioner, Adam Silver, grant two years in the past.
And now West is the topic of a documentary that explores his chase of perfection and the tolls that hunt extracted. Kenya Barris, greatest often known as the creator of the ABC sitcom “Black-ish,” is making his documentary directing debut with “Jerry West: The Logo,” which is now streaming on Amazon’s Prime Video.
Barris discovered that when he known as individuals to speak about West, they answered. The documentary is enriched by interviews with NBA royalty like O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Pat Riley and even Michael Jordan, sitting in a leather-based jacket for his interview in uncommon, unfiltered type. In addition, Barris hung out with West within the Appalachians in his native West Virginia and was “about a halfway through” interviews together with his topic when West died.
In a current interview, Barris mentioned West’s contributions to basketball, ending the challenge after West’s loss of life and getting MJ to take a seat and discuss. These are edited excerpts.
How did this come about?
When I learn his guide [“West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life”]I used to be like, “I want to tell this story.” Because there actually really is one thing about him like a father, husband, form of aggregator of expertise and on the identical time, somebody who likes to talk their thoughts. All these issues are issues that I actually might learn into. And if I’m being completely trustworthy with you, there have been components of me after I discovered that Jerry was the emblem, I used to be blown away. But in telling tales, I at all times begin with a speculation, then attempt to show or disprove it. He deserved the emblem.
Jerry West could possibly be prickly. How did you get him to open up?
I used to be like, he isn’t going to let me do it, this Black man with chains and saggy denims. And he was unbelievably comfy. He was additionally a straight shooter and likewise tremendous humorous. He could possibly be a brother, your father, your good friend, all type of wrapped into one and I actually loved that half.
How fast was the sure from Michael Jordan?
Even although I’m from LA, I used to be a Bull. I liked the Lakers, however Showtime did not have the identical impression to me due to how nice of a participant Michael Jordan was looming over my life. When he says sure — he is so enigmatic and would not communicate. But he did not simply say sure, he got here and he actually really was Mike and he really talked and he mentioned issues I hadn’t heard him say earlier than. He had plenty of love for Jerry.
There was a second the place he speaks to issues in regards to the Trinity. In his thoughts of basketball, he mentioned it was Jerry, then him, then Kobe. And he would not speak about himself like that always. But Jerry form of mentioned the identical factor with out Mike understanding it. I believe these three gamers had that canine in them. Jordan actually revered Jerry. They have been each tremendous aggressive, a lot in order that as a lot as they each love golf, they’d not play towards one another, as a result of they felt like it could destroy their friendship.
What was behind the thought to place West’s highlights towards fashionable music?
He’s not 360 dunking, however when you hear him towards Just Blaze and also you’re seeing the cease and pop 12-to-15-foot shot — [that’s] the toughest shot in basketball. He had the very best scoring common, playoff common on the time of our interviews, with no three-point shot. And he wasn’t dunking the ball, it was this dude who was simply going, who simply might ball. And to mix that with present-day music was one thing I actually wished.
Do you are feeling such as you’re serving to introduce him to a brand new viewers?
One hundred p.c. I’m an enormous fan of biographies. Walter Isaacson is one among my individuals and what he informed me about Ben Franklin was [that] he portrayed him as the person of his day, and he was the doubt. And I assumed individuals want to know Jerry spanned a long time and his impression remains to be actually felt as we speak in the identical means Richard Pryor was to comedy, the identical means sure individuals are to their specific style.
Did you are feeling added strain as soon as he died, understanding that this might be his final intensive interviews?
Hell yeah. From the household, not like strain, however you are not telling a narrative about their dad who’s round to make the choice. You have to inform a narrative for them. You’re saying that is the legacy that shall be left for them. I wished to ensure the viewers is left with an enduring impression of who he was and what he meant. And hopefully future generations can look and get to pursue their craft with the identical stage of diligence.