David West
West with the New Orleans Hornets in 2011
Personal information
Born (1980-08-29) August 29, 1980
Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeXavier (1999–2003)
NBA draft2003: 1st round, 18th overall pick
Selected by the New Orleans Hornets
Playing career2003–2018
PositionPower forward
Number30, 21, 3
Career history
2003–2011New Orleans Hornets[lower-alpha 1]
2011–2015Indiana Pacers
2015–2016San Antonio Spurs
2016–2018Golden State Warriors
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points14,034 (13.6 ppg)
Rebounds6,590 (6.4 rpg)
Assists2,273 (2.2 apg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

David Moorer West (born August 29, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the New Orleans Hornets, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors. He played college basketball for the Xavier Musketeers, earning national college player of the year honors from the Associated Press (AP) and United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) as a senior in 2003. West was a two-time NBA All-Star (2008 and 2009) and a two-time NBA champion (2017 and 2018).

High school and college career

West attended Garner Magnet High School in Garner, North Carolina and Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia. As a senior in 1998–99, he earned first-team all-state honors playing for Hargrave.

In his freshman season at Xavier, West was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team after leading the A-10 in rebounding (9.1) and finishing fourth on the Musketeers in scoring (11.7).[1]

In his sophomore season, West led Xavier in scoring (17.8 ppg), rebounding (10.9 rpg, tops in A-10 and fourth nationally) and blocks (2.1 bpg). He recorded five 20-point, 20-rebound games throughout the 2000–01 season as he earned his first A-10 Player of the Year award.[1]

In his junior season, West was named the A-10 Player of the Year and the league's Defensive Player of the Year, while also winning A-10 Tournament MVP honors. He averaged 9.8 rebounds (26th in nation) and 2.5 blocks (22nd in nation) per game, and recorded the first triple-double in school history with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Long Island University.[1]

In his senior season, West garnered two of the five major college basketball Player of the Year honors, being named AP National Player of the Year and National Player of the Year by the United States Basketball Writers Association. He became the first three-time Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, and was named first-team All-America by the Associated Press in 2002–03. In addition, he became just the third player in Xavier history to surpass 2,000 points and only the second to eclipse 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, joining Tyrone Hill.[1]

In October 2007, Sports Illustrated released Sports Illustrated: The Basketball Book, which featured West on its NCAA All-Decade Team for the decade beginning in 2000. He was joined by Connecticut's Emeka Okafor and three Duke players, Jay Williams, J. J. Redick and Shane Battier.

Professional career

New Orleans Hornets (2003–2011)

West in a game with the Hornets in 2010

West was drafted by the New Orleans Hornets with the 18th overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. After recording modest production in his first two seasons, in 2005–06, West enjoyed a breakthrough as he averaged 17.4 points and 7.4 rebounds with a .512 FG% in 74 games. That year, he finished second in the voting for the NBA Most Improved Player Award, behind Boris Diaw of the Phoenix Suns.[2] He also saw some time at center, due to the team's lack of a true big man and demonstrated an ability to perform under pressure, as he converted three game-winning jump shots.

In 2006–07, West ended the season averaging 18.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Despite missing 30 games due to an elbow injury, West recorded five games of 30 or more points and 13 games of 20 or more points.

West again increased his statistical production in 2007–08, and was selected to his first NBA All-Star Game as a reserve, along with teammate Chris Paul. Paul later stated that he would rather not play with a power forward in the league other than West, because "he's not in it for the spotlight, all he cares about is getting buckets [scoring]." West reinforced his desire to be a team player in a 2008 postseason interview, saying that he does not care about being overlooked but would rather "play and be as effective as possible" when he is out on the court.[3]

In 2008–09, West repeated as an all-star and posted a new career high by scoring 21.0 points per game.

On March 25, 2011, during one of the Hornets' last games of the season against the Utah Jazz, West came down awkwardly after a dunk. The event occurred with 22.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter. West tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and was ruled out for the rest of the season.[4]

On June 27, 2011, West opted out of the final year of his contract to become a free agent.[5]

Indiana Pacers (2011–2015)

On December 13, 2011, West signed a two-year, $20 million contract with the Indiana Pacers.[6][7]

On January 12, 2013, West recorded his first career triple-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the 96–88 win over the Charlotte Bobcats.[8]

On July 10, 2013, West re-signed with the Pacers to a three-year, $36.6 million contract.[9][10] In June 2015, he opted out of his contract with the Pacers to become a free agent.[11][12]

San Antonio Spurs (2015–2016)

On July 17, 2015, West signed with the San Antonio Spurs.[13] He made his debut for the Spurs in the team's season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 28, recording 8 points and 2 rebounds off the bench in a 112–106 loss.[14] On January 6, 2016, West, starting in place of LaMarcus Aldridge, recorded season-highs of 18 points and 13 rebounds in a 123–98 win over the Utah Jazz, helping the Spurs extend its franchise-record home winning streak to 30 straight regular-season games dating to 2014–15.[15]

Golden State Warriors (2016–2018)

On July 9, 2016, West signed with the Golden State Warriors.[16] West emerged as a key bench player for the Warriors, particularly for his skilled passing abilities.[17] Throughout January and February 2017, West missed 14 games with a non-displaced fracture in his left thumb.[18] On March 29, 2017, West recorded a season-high 15 points and a game-high plus-23 in a large comeback win against the San Antonio Spurs.[19] The Warriors finished the season as the first seed in the West with a 67–15 record.[20] Following a 129–115 victory in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals over the Spurs, the Warriors were undefeated in the first three playoff series, reaching their third straight NBA Finals series.[21] West played in every playoff game, as the Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 4–1 in the 2017 NBA Finals.[22] The Warriors' 16–1 playoff record was the best ever postseason winning percentage in NBA history.[23]

On July 25, 2017, after winning his first championship ring, West re-signed with the Warriors for one more year,[24] with expectations to retire after the 2017–18 season.[25] On January 8, 2018, in a 124–114 win over the Denver Nuggets, West became the 127th player in NBA history to play in 1,000 regular-season games.[26] After reaching that milestone, he noted that he might consider signing again for the 2018–19 season, saying, "It all depends on how my body feels. Right now I feel good."[27] After winning his second NBA Championship, West announced his retirement from the NBA after 15 seasons on August 30, 2018.[28][29]

Awards and honors

  • 2× NBA All-Star: 2008, 2009
  • Three-time Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year[30]
  • 2003 AP National Player of the Year
  • 2003 National Player of the Year by the United States Basketball Writers Association
  • 2003 Pete Newell Big Man award from the National Association of Basketball Coaches
  • First-team All-America by AP as a senior
  • Second-team All-America by AP as a junior
  • Honorable mention All-America by AP as a sophomore

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 †  Won an NBA championship *  Led the league

NBA

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2003–04 New Orleans 71113.1.474.000.7134.2.8.4.43.8
2004–05 New Orleans 30818.4.436.400.6804.3.8.4.56.2
2005–06 New Orleans 747434.1.512.273.8437.41.2.8.917.1
2006–07 New Orleans 525236.5.476.320.8248.22.2.8.718.3
2007–08 New Orleans 767637.8.482.240.8508.92.3.81.320.6
2008–09 New Orleans 767639.2.472.240.8848.52.3.6.921.0
2009–10 New Orleans 818136.4.505.259.8657.53.0.9.719.0
2010–11 New Orleans 707035.0.508.222.8077.62.31.0.918.9
2011–12 Indiana 66*66*29.2.487.222.8076.62.1.8.712.8
2012–13 Indiana 737333.4.498.211.7687.72.91.0.917.1
2013–14 Indiana 808030.9.488.267.7896.82.8.8.914.0
2014–15 Indiana 666628.7.471.200.7396.83.4.7.711.7
2015–16 San Antonio 781918.0.545.429.7884.01.8.6.77.1
2016–17† Golden State 68012.6.536.375.7683.02.2.6.74.6
2017–18† Golden State 73013.7.571.375.7593.31.9.61.06.8
Career 1,03474228.2.495.265.8176.42.2.7.813.6
All-Star 2015.0.545.000.0003.5.5.5.06.0

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2004 New Orleans 7015.9.536-.8464.31.1.3.65.9
2008 New Orleans 121240.4.466.500.8918.52.81.11.921.2
2009 New Orleans 5535.6.400-.8977.41.21.0.418.0
2012 Indiana 111137.8.446-.8188.52.0.7.515.3
2013 Indiana 191936.3.462.000.7667.62.1.7.815.9
2014 Indiana 181836.3.483.222.7056.94.1.8.815.1
2016 San Antonio 10017.6.455.500.5563.71.3.6.75.8
2017† Golden State 17013.0.576.500.7782.72.1.4.84.5
2018† Golden State 1809.7.600.5001.0002.11.8.3.63.3
Career 1186626.6.476.320.7965.62.2.6.811.3

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1999–00 Xavier 333329.4.532.000.6679.11.71.61.111.7
2000–01 Xavier 292933.7.551.000.74010.92.01.42.117.8
2001–02 Xavier 323234.2.536.321.7689.81.61.22.518.3
2002–03 Xavier 323236.5.513.346.81611.83.21.31.620.1
Career 12612633.4.531.327.75710.42.11.41.816.9

Executive career

In November 2018, West became the first Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Historical Basketball League (HBL), a college basketball league set to launch in 2020.[31] The HBL later changed its name to The Professional Collegiate League, with West explaining that the organization produces a more equitable system to "challenge the exploitation at the collegiate basketball level. ... Predominantly young black men, working, not being paid for their labor, and that labor being directly, monetarily beneficial for everyone but them."[32]

Personal life

West is the son of Amos and Harriet West.[33] He and his wife Lesley have one daughter, Dasia,[34] and one son, David Benjamin.[35]

West is very interested in education, "black history, philosophy and various societal issues".[36] He also loves to make mixtapes for his teammates, saying that it is a healthy habit that keeps him "in the house and off [his] feet".[3]

West has a Xavier "X" tattooed on his arm which displays, on either side, "My life, my way".[37]

Political views

In mid-2019, West appeared as a panelist and commentator on The Young Turks political news program to discuss Juneteenth.[38]

In a July 2020 interview with Black Agenda Report, West lamented the lack of understanding about China among Americans and denounced anti-China foreign policy hawks as "warmongers."[39] Regarding the NBA's rift with China following Daryl Morey's tweet supporting the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, West stated that the Hong Kong issue is more complicated than how it is portrayed in the American media, and that he contacted NBA players to caution them about being used as political pawns against China, stating: "I got on the phone with a bunch of NBA guys, and I was like 'Don't let them pull you into this bullshit, because it's the Iraq war-, weapons of mass destruction-type propaganda again."[39] Regarding the manner in which China is presented in the American media, West stated: "As people in the world, as Americans and people in American society, we have been misled."[39]

Concerning American politics, West expressed support for Medicare for All and stated that American society needs a fundamental restructuring in order to combat police brutality, food deserts, and discrimination against black people in the healthcare industry.[32] He stated that America has an "imperial lust that we haven't been able to get rid of," adding that "it has put us behind other nations in the fact that nations are united internally against the imperial wishes of the United States."[32] West praised China for its improvements in poverty elimination, education, and life expectancy, and stated that China has "built their society in a way to defend itself against the constant imposition of Western imperialism. And in the midst of all of that, they have still been able to eke out some of the greatest advancements in human history. ... They've done it without war, they've done it without invasion, they've done it without bombing and blowing people up."[32] He elaborated further that China demonstrates "there could be a functioning society outside of the control of the Western imperial power structure."[32]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ During the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, the team was known as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets during their temporary relocation to Oklahoma City due to Hurricane Katrina.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "David West Stats, Video, Bio, Profile". NBA.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Phoenix's Boris Diaw Wins the 2005-06 NBA Most Improved Player Award". NBA.com. May 1, 2006. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015. Retrieved May 2, 2006.
  3. 1 2 Hornet Without the Buzz: an Interview With David West Archived May 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ "Report: Hornets' West out for season with torn ACL". NBA.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012.
  5. ↑ "New Orleans Hornets forward David West says he's opting out of final year of his contract".
  6. ↑ "Pacers sign veteran free agent David West". www.nba.com.
  7. ↑ "Pacers ink free agent West to 2-year, $20M deal". ESPN.com. December 11, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Notebook: Pacers 96, Bobcats 88". NBA.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Pacers Re-Sign Free Agent David West". www.nba.com.
  10. ↑ "Indiana Pacers re-sign David West". Archived from the original on July 2, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Hibbert Picks Up Option; West Declines". NBA.com. June 29, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  12. ↑ "KRAVITZ: West opted out because he didn't think he could win a title in Indiana". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Spurs Sign David West". NBA.com. July 17, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Donovan wins NBA coaching debut, Thunder beat Spurs 112-106". NBA.com. October 28, 2015. Archived from the original on November 7, 2015. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Duncan scores 18, Spurs rout Jazz to move to 21-0 at home". NBA.com. January 6, 2016. Archived from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Warriors Sign Free Agent Forward David West". NBA.com. July 9, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  17. ↑ "David West's reliable passing off the bench key for Warriors". USA TODAY. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Curry flurry: MVP's huge third quarter propels Warriors". ESPN.com. February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Former Spur David West key to Warriors' win in San Antonio". March 30, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  20. ↑ Jones, Kevin (April 12, 2017). "Warriors trounce Lakers, finish regular season with 67-15 record". KNBR-AM. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  21. ↑ "Warriors sweep Spurs, enter NBA Finals 12-0". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Warriors win NBA title, Kevin Durant claims Finals MVP". June 13, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  23. ↑ "Warriors (16-1) Record Best Postseason Winning Percentage in NBA History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Warriors Re-Sign Curry, Durant, Iguodala, Livingston, Pachulia and West to Contracts". NBA.com. July 25, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  25. ↑ Maloney, Jack (July 1, 2017). "NBA Free Agency: Veteran David West, Warriors agree to one-year deal". cbssports.com. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  26. ↑ "Curry goes off again, Warriors top Nuggets for 5th straight". ESPN.com. January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  27. ↑ Haynes, Chris (January 9, 2018). "David West still going strong after hitting 1,000-game milestone". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  28. ↑ Rohrbach, Ben (August 30, 2018). "David West retires from the NBA an All-Star, champion and unquestioned leader". Yahoo.com. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  29. ↑ Witt, Brian (August 30, 2018). "Going Out On Top: David West Retires After 15-Year Career". NBA.com. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  30. ↑ "2003 Graduate David West Named To A Sports Illustrated All-Decade Team".
  31. ↑ League, The Historical Basketball. "The Historical Basketball League Hires NBA Champion David West". www.prnewswire.com (Press release).
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 "Left Lens EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: 2x NBA Champ David West on Black Politics & Nature of U.S. society". Black Agenda Report. July 27, 2020. Event occurs at 45:35, 22:20, 19:55, 18:10, 37:10, 24:00, 25:55. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
  33. ↑ Carlson, Jenni. "Mr. Clutch West has become Hornets' go-to guy". The Oklahoman.
  34. ↑ "In the Lane with Licht: "Mr. Clutch" Beats Buzzer Again". NBA.com.
  35. ↑ "David West – The Historical Basketball League".
  36. ↑ "More Than Basketball: David West". www.nba.com.
  37. ↑ Five Questions with David West
  38. ↑ The Young Turks (June 19, 2019), When Did You Learn About Juneteenth?, archived from the original on December 21, 2021, retrieved June 20, 2019
  39. 1 2 3 "Former NBA Star: I Warned Players Not to Support Anti-China Propaganda". Radio.com. July 30, 2020.
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