Despite helping to launch the Lakers’ dynasty during the 1980s as the team’s general manager, West says his proudest achievement as an executive came with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2004, when the team played its first-ever home playoff game. For his work as general manager that season, he was named the league’s Executive of the Year, just as he’d been with the Lakers in 1995. West has always loved evaluating talent, and his ability was fully tested with the Grizzlies. Under West, they made playoffs three straight years, but didn’t win a single playoff game during that run.
