Malik Monk’s outstanding season earned him the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award. Photo: Chet White | UK Athletics

NBA Hall of FamerJerry West, Zeke from Cabin Creek, has never been one to gravitate to any glimmer of limelight.

Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley have personalities that are as big, maybe bigger, than their games were. They enjoy mingling and interacting with anyone they cross paths with and always have.

Not so with “The Logo”. Being comfortable in the spotlight simply isn’t in his DNA. He would prefer to let his game speak volumes and leave it at that.

He has been “The Logo” for almost half a century and still squirms uncomfortably at the thought that his image is the visual that NBA fans have come to know and love over the years.

I respect his feelings, I really do, but I hope the NBA logo always remains in his likeness. Jerry West played his final NBA game three and a half years before I was born. I’m not, and never will be, a Los Angeles Lakers fan. None of that matters, when I think of “The Logo”, I think of Jerry West.

Jerry West said he wants the NBA to change the logo… I don't know how you change it at this point but if they do… I say MJ lol

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) April 7, 2017

Mr. West, in all of his humility, feels the same ways as Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard.

I guess I’m kind of a tweener when it comes to NBA history right now. I missed the era of Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain and the like. I’m an 80’s and 90’s kid when it comes to that, but I’m a big fan of this current LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kawhi Leonard era as well. The common thread between the NBA of my childhood and today’s NBA is that none of it would be possible without Jerry West and all of his contemporaries.

Those guys get forgotten and buried in history way too much and keeping Jerry West as the logo is a little thing but it keeps a piece of that era in the minds of youngsters today.

Malik Monk Wins the Jerry West Award

In addition to being the logo of the NBA Jerry West also has his own award, the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award. Kentucky’s own Malik Monk was deemed college basketball’s best shooting guard in a ceremony at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

"It's a blessing to be here and thankful for all of the opportunities." – @AhmadMonk on winning the #WestAward pic.twitter.com/sr35AJZ9xx

— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) April 8, 2017

It was just another first to add to the list for Monk. He’s the first Kentucky freshman to notch four 30-point games and now he’s the first to take home the West Award. Congrats again to Malik on his outstanding season, meeting “The Logo”, and winning the award that bears his name.

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