David West

Mr. David Moorer West is an American retired professional basketball player who played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is an advisory member of Side Equity’s Start Up Projects team. He played college basketball for the Xavier Musketeers, earning national college player of the year honors from the Associated Press (AP) and United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) as a senior in 2003. West is a two-time NBA All-Star (2008 and 2009) and a two-time NBA champion (2017 and 2018).

In his senior season in high school, West garnered two of the five major college basketball Player of the Year honors, being named AP National Player of the Year and National Player of the Year by the United States Basketball Writers Association. He became the first three-time Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, and was named first-team All-America by the Associated Press in 2002–03. In addition, he became just the third player in Xavier history to surpass 2,000 points and only the second to eclipse 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, joining Tyrone Hill.

West was drafted by the New Orleans Hornets with the 18th overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. On December 13, 2011, West signed a two-year, $20 million contract with the Indiana Pacers. On January 12, 2013, West recorded his first career triple-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the 96-88 win over the Charlotte Bobcats. On July 10, 2013, West re-signed with the Pacers to a three-year, $36.6 million contract. In June 2015, he opted out of his contract with the Pacers to become a free agent and signed with the San Antonio Spurs.

On July 9, 2016, West signed with the Golden State Warriors. West emerged as a key bench player for the Warriors, particularly for his skilled passing abilities. Throughout January and February 2017, West missed 14 games with a non-displaced fracture in his left thumb. On March 29, 2017, West recorded a season-high 15 points and a game-high plus-23 in a large comeback win against the San Antonio Spurs. The Warriors finished the season as the first seed in the West with a 67–15 record. Following a 129–115 victory in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals over the Spurs, the Warriors were undefeated in the first three playoff series, reaching their third straight NBA Finals series. West played in every playoff game, as the Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 4–1 in the 2017 NBA Finals. The Warriors’ 16–1 playoff record was the best ever postseason winning percentage in NBA history.

On July 25, 2017, after winning his first championship ring, West re-signed with the Warriors for one more year with expectations to retire after the 2017–18 season. On January 8, 2018, in a 124–114 win over the Denver Nuggets, West became the 127th player in NBA history to play in 1,000 regular-season games. After reaching that milestone, he noted that he might consider signing again for the 2018–19 season, saying, “It all depends on how my body feels. Right now I feel good.” After winning his second NBA Championship, West announced his retirement from the NBA after 15 seasons on August 30, 2018. Side Equity is excited to have Mr. West as part of our team for the Professional Sports division of our organization.