David West is finally an NBA champion, and that is a great thing

David West joined the New Orleans Hornets in 2003 as the 18th overall pick in the NBA draft. West was a four-year contributor at Xavier, where he played on a handful of excellent teams that made the NCAA tournament out of the mid-major Atlantic 10. But West’s teams never got beyond the second round, and he missed the school’s thrilling run to the Elite Eight in the first year of his NBA career. West became a college star, but circumstances never let him be a part of anything close to a championship run.

His NBA career had mirrored his collegiate one. West had been on eight playoff teams counting this year, only missing five times in his career. He’s been on some really good playoff teams. He was a key cog on the 2007-08 New Orleans team that lost a seven-game Western Conference semifinal to the Spurs. (That team still stands as one of the best of Chris Paul’s career.) He played four years with the Pacers and made the Eastern Conference Finals in two of them, falling short at LeBron James’ hands both times. West joined a great Spurs team last season and bowed out to Kevin Durant and the Thunder in the West semis. And then, this year, he signed with the Warriors.

It has finally worked out. West is a champion at last, after the Warriors dispatched the Cavaliers in a five-game series victory that concluded Monday night.

West was not essential personnel on this Golden State team, but he had a role to play, and for about 13 minutes a night all season long, West played it. He averaged between four and five points in both the regular season and playoffs, getting less usage than in any season since his rookie year.

But his value was evident in the locker room and in providing toughness when the Warriors needed it. We saw it in Game 5, when he stared down Tristan Thompson during a key Warriors run.

West is nearing the end — or maybe he’s now reached it — and he’s not the player he used to be. He was a net minus in these playoffs, which is hard to do on Golden State. But he’s been so good for so long that this feels like justice anyway.

West has ring-chased at the end of his career, undoubtedly. These jokes from the time he signed in Golden State are both funny and true, and that’s okay:

Two summers ago, he declined a $12 million option in Indiana to join San Antonio for $1.5 million. His current deal with the Warriors is for one year at the veteran minimum, which is about what he’s now worth. This entire season felt like a ride into the sunset for West, but it had a clear purpose: West came to Golden State to win a title. I don’t know him, but I suspect he would’ve played for this team for free.

But it wasn’t just that. West wanted to play for Golden State because he wanted to absorb as much basketball knowledge as he could from some of the sport’s masters.

“I value being around intelligent people,” he told The Ringer before the season. “I value being around people who work hard. You know? Critical thinkers. People who are interested in becoming better every day.”

That sounds like the Warriors, who have refined their art over the years and put together one of the most brilliant three-year runs in history. It sounds like Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Durant — basketball geniuses who sacrificed lots of shots to be part of this amazing Warriors team. It wasn’t all about ring-chasing, but when you associate yourself with champions, there’s a good chance a ring is coming.

West has been one of the NBA’s sturdiest players for the last decade and change. He didn’t need a title to validate his work, but it sure is neat that he got one.