David West was supposed to retire from basketball in 1996. After spending his sophomore season of high school in Teaneck, N.J., anchored to the junior varsity’s bench, the gawky 16-year-old moved with his family to Garner, N.C., a suburb of Raleigh. At 6-foot-5, 135 pounds with size-17 sneakers, West had grown wary of the snickers he elicited just by stumbling up the court.