Key Takeaways
- Jerry West: The Logo comes out on April 16 on Prime Video.
- The documentary includes some of Jerry West’s final interviews and appearances from NBA figures like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.
- It marks Kenya Barris’ first documentary as a director, produced through Khalabo Ink Society and Propagate.
Kenya Barris has another major project on the way. On Monday (March 23), Prime Video announced that the filmmaker and newly appointed vice chair of REVOLT Labs will be working on a feature-length documentary about the late and legendary Jerry West.
Premiering on April 16, Jerry West: The Logo will include what are said to be the NBA great’s final interviews, along with “dozens of never-before-told stories” from people who knew him best, including former teammates, close friends, his wife, Karen West, and his children. Among those appearing are Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin Durant, Magic Johnson, Stephen Curry, Shaquille O’Neal, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
According to a press release, “Jerry West: The Logo examines the price of greatness and the man who paid it, as the notoriously private and enigmatic West opens up with rare candor about his private struggles with depression, the marriage that crumbled under the weight of his obsession, his complicated relationship with fatherhood, and the persistent feeling of being an outsider even as he achieved what others only dream of.”
As the documentary’s title suggests, and as many basketball fans already know, West became the silhouette behind the NBA logo. During his historic career with the Lakers, Mr. Clutch delivered countless unforgettable moments, like the 60-foot shot that tied the 1970 NBA Finals’ Game 3 against the New York Knicks. He later returned to the Los Angeles-based franchise as a coach and eventually served as general manager.
Jerry West: The Logo will serve as Kenya Barris’ documentary directorial debut
Part of what makes Jerry West: The Logo such a special project — beyond the fact that it honors an NBA legend — is that the release marks Barris’ documentary directing debut. The "black-ish" creator’s Khalabo Ink Society and Propagate are producing the film, with Mychelle Deschamps, Hale Rothstein, and several others serving as executive producers.
