They called him “Mr. Clutch,” “Zeke from Cabin Creek,” “Tweety Bird” and eventually “The Logo.” Yet to the people who knew him, Jerry West was, at first, someone you’d call overwhelming and humbling.

“Well, it was intimidating,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr told The Times. “It’s hard to make these lists, but, when you think about the very most important figures in NBA history, he’s on the short list.”

Kerr, a broadcaster at the time, went to watch the Memphis Grizzles practice when West, the team’s general manager, spoke with him about anything and everything — a man allergic to anything but unvarnished truth.