Jerry West: Players Creating Wealth
on Wednesday, June 12, 2024Meaning of Jerry West Money Quote: saying Marketing sports stars has led to creation of vast wealth, but doesn’t make the players talented. Jerry West said:
“The marketing of players has created untold wealth for many sports stars. You can’t blame them or the company that covets the relationship with them, but that doesn’t mean the player is good” — Jerry West
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In this quote, Jerry West is commenting on the relationship between sports marketing, athletes’ wealth, and athletic ability. Here are a few key points of interpretation:
- Marketing and endorsement deals have generated huge financial fortunes for many star athletes, beyond just their salaries.
- While you can’t fault the athletes for capitalizing on opportunities or the companies wanting to partner with popular figures, this wealth does not necessarily correlate with on-field/court performance or talent.
- Just because someone is a highly paid, marketed player does not mean they are highly skilled or that their abilities alone justify their status/compensation. External business factors beyond athletic prowess play a major role in their success.
- West is essentially saying marketing muscle and business savvy and not just pure athletic gifts have contributed greatly to certain players’ wealth and prominence, so their financial standing alone is not proof of their capabilities or value as an athlete. Reputation and likability off the field have commercial value regardless of on-field impact.
The best interpretation is that West is pointing out the disconnect that can exist between an athlete’s financial worth driven by their brand and popularity, versus their actual value or skill level from a pure sports perspective. Marketing forces have to be taken into account apart from just athletic talent.
Birthday: May 28, 1938 – Death: June 12, 2024