Jerry West became the first three-time inductee as Carter and Billups entered the Basketball Hall of Fame

Springfield, Mass. (AP) — The stage was filled with Laker greats as Jerry West made history Sunday night by becoming the first three-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

When it was their turn to speak, West could barely get the words out as he tried to say what he meant.

“He's a friend and a mentor, and I owe him more than I can understand,” Michael Cooper said as he choked back tears.

It's no wonder Johnny West talks about his father, Kay Died in June at age 86: “Jerry West was loved by almost everyone in basketball.”

Cooper was recruited as part of a 13-member class led by Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups. Carter is the only player to appear in all four decades, and his 22 seasons is an NBA record.

Even as he prepares to call it quits in 2020 at age 43, Carter has trouble using the word “retirement.” That changed, he said, after a conversation with Kobe Bryant in his final season in which Bryant assured him that life after the game was great. Shortly after, Carter came to terms that he was retiring.

“Because Kobe Bryant made me see it's okay,” Carter said.

High-scoring Phoenix star Walter Davis in the class and former Knicks champions Dick Barnett, Simone Augustus and Michelle Timms made it from the WNBA. Doug Collins and Pacers owner Herb Simon were included as contributors, along with amateur-level coaches Bo Ryan, Harley Redin and Charles Smith.

The honor for West is for his work as a contributor, primarily in recognition of the eight championships he helped the Lakers win as an executive.

“You're a contributor to the game of basketball, in every sense and that will live on forever,” said Johnny West, joining Lakers Hall of Famers such as Magic Johnson and James Worthy Cooper, coach Pat Riley nearby.

West was already inducted for his playing career with the Lakers that began in 1960 and then again in 2010 as a member of the 1960 US team that won an Olympic gold medal at the start of one of basketball's most unparalleled careers.

“The logo. The icon of our game,” said Cooper, who brought Riley and Johnson back on stage to chant “Cooop!” chanted as he returned to his own temple with devotees.

West loved finding players for the Lakers and mentoring them once they got there, from No. 60 picks from New Mexico like Cooper and defensive specialists to high school teenagers like Bryant.

Buoyed by the acquisition of Bryant West in 1996 and the signing of Shaquille O'Neal, the Lakers won three straight championships from 2000–02. Billups led the Detroit Pistons to an upset of the Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals and was named the Series MVP as the point guard on a team that included Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton and Tyshaun Prince.

“We affectionately called ourselves the five best alive and no one would tell us apart,” Billups said.

Billups had a rough start to his career, lasting just half a season in Boston, before the Celtics traded him with the No. 3 pick in the 1997 draft. He didn't last long in Toronto or Denver but eventually found his place in Detroit, where the player nicknamed the No. 1 jersey “Mr. Big Shot” hangs in the rafters.

“I never thought I'd need a second home but I have one in Detroit,” Billups said.

Carter had plenty of finishes in his career, which he said included 261 teammates. It started as a high-flying phenom in Toronto in 1999, where he was joined by his cousin and now Hall of Famer, Tracy McGrady. It wasn't long before they found out they were related, and Carter said when McGrady called to tell him the news, he said: “Because, I'm going to make sure the Raptors draft you. I got you.”

“We're here today,” Carter added.

Whether it's his dunks, slam dunk contests, the Olympics or just regular-season games, Carter has been must-see TV early in his career. He loved being a productive player on many teams and years later, when he was no longer a high flyer.

He thanked the fans who watched him throughout the year, who cheered and who cheered.

“Man, it's an honor to fly into the arena for your entertainment,” Carter said.