Buss said this or Dr. This franchise and that franchise, and we got em. And we drafted a kid who we think is going to be phenomenal. I told him when I saw him in college at LSU: The day I saw you, I went and told our owner, Jerry Buss, he has to wear a Laker uniform one day. In the process of this thing, I said, Jerry, this is going to really be costly. Dont talk about the owner. We had some tumultuous losses. Hed recommend books for me to read. He really thought about things like that, that it was equal opportunity, and if men could be the stars, then women could be the stars too. He says hes tried to apologize. We shared a hobby as coin collectors, and Dr. Buss owned some really important coins, and I was aware of that. Dr. Buss will always be forever in my heart. All relationship and family history information shown on FameChain has been compiled from data in the public domain. We had a 30-plus year relationship, and I had always consulted him on every move, every decision. And its crazy how the Lakers are one of the biggest, most successful franchises in sports history, and it feels like a mom and pop organization. I go up to the suite, and I sit down on the stairs next to him, and I said, Well Doc, what do you think? He says, Its great. Id never been in a Porsche before. And I did very well investing in the coins. Johnny Buss speaks at a memorial service for his father, Jerry Buss, at the Nokia Theatre on Feb. 21, 2013. All relationship and family history information shown on FameChain has been compiled from data in the public domain. There becomes a bigger trust by an owner, a greater dependency on the people whom youre working closely with. We just stayed the course. I couldnt be more thankful for all the parties involved in that trade, because it really changed my career here in the NBA, and gave me a second life. Dr. Buss literally went through every moment vicariously with us. As the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers from 1979 until he passed away in 2013, Dr. Jerry Buss oversaw one of the greatest stretches in sports and entertainment history. He said, I want you to take me to dinner at this real fancy restaurant with some friends. I said, I cant afford that! Just so, so cool. Buss was an inaugural member of the USC College Board of Councilors. A prayer was held on Tuesday, February 28th 2023 at 9:45 AM at the St. John Lutheran Church (701 N 6th St, Beatrice, NE 68310). As a player, he helped lead the Lakers to three NBA championships in 1980, 1982, and 1985. And he really wanted me to listen. He made good observations about the game, and personnel and so forth. Back then, (player movement) on that scale was not something that happened that often I think Dr. Buss mindset played into it a lot. Buss died of cancer on Feb. 18, 2013. That was an absolutely incredible gesture on his part, which I always appreciated, to say the least. I was like, Listen, I havent talked to anybody from the Lakers organization, no one has called me, I dont know if its true. He said, Well, we think its true, weve talked to Jerry West. I said, Well you know what, I dont know who the manager is of this team. The most innovative with Showtime and all the business connections he was way ahead of his time, more than any owner in history. He was doing it because it was truly his passion. We had Reebok down our sides, on the dance top, on jackets and everything. Born in Santa Monica, California, [1] Buss was the third of four children to Joann and Jerry Buss, and one of two daughters; she grew up with older brothers Johnny and Jim and younger sister Janie. His dream was to own the Lakers, my dream was just to be a part of it, and we became part of a team that goes down in history, and then he built another one when he got Shaq and Kobe. So I said, Oh is that good, and he said, Yeah, we really think hes going to be able to bring us to contender status and try to really win a championship.. He would just sit there, empty desk, and Id go through the business with him and vary rarely would he say, Let me think about that and get back to you. It was almost always he had an opinion or a decision right then and there. What people dont realize is that Phil (Jackson) and them called me when we were about to lose Lamar Odom, and said, youre the only one (Dr. Buss) will listen to. They all mean a lot, but some mean a little bit more than others. Some owners look at it like a business, only. On the 18th February 2013, Dr. Jerry Buss passed away. He just shook the trophy in that tiny little locker room in Boston. He had been in and out of the hospital for more than a year before his death. Pat Riley had a great speech about that. Buss always referred to the Lakers as his extended family, and his players rewarded his fanlike excitement with devotion, friendship and two hands full of championship rings. I dont think an owner of a team should be someone that just sat back thinking about making, Well, it will make me X amount each year. Dr. Buss was passionate about it. That was one of his favorite things he started doing later on, because before, he was doing Hawaii for a month. In a large way, thats why you saw so much joy in Dr. Buss. Really low key and very friendly. He got a big kick out of that, and by the fourth season, he won. Dr. Buss was happy. Wed come up with Steve Blake and Matt Barnes, and my dad was fully supportive of it, and cleared it with Mitch and Jim, and we ended up signing them. If everyone took as much care and time to plan for the end of their lives, there would likely be much less fighting among family members when it came time to administer their estates. The league wasnt faring that well prior to 1979, for whatever the reasons were, so whether it was Magic, Dr. Buss or a combination of things that coincided with their arrival, it helped save this league and helped pave the way for all of us to do what we do today. Image. We all held the trophy together. Just a great feeling to play for an organization that had a leader like Dr. Buss. He put his imprint on the league fast, and then we win the championship too? He really wanted to own the team.. He made sure they had the kind of food I wanted, and he was really attentive to the little details to make sure it was a comfortable environment to me. There was no question about that. Life is funny that way. Jeanie Buss, Magic Johnson, Jerry Buss, and Phil Jackson Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Lakers Center (1975-89) 6X Champion, 2X Finals MVP, 6X MVP, 19X All-Star, Hall of Fame He always treated me very. My dad changed the landscape of the NBA in terms of how he thought about the business. We all felt very comfortable around him because he treated us all as human beings. Jordan Greer is an NBA content producer for The Sporting News. Thats why when hed make a decision, hed take the time to explain to me the thought process behind it, so Id always know where that decision was coming from and why he believed in particular. So, Im like, Oh boy, here it is, because I knew all trades had to go through him. My contract is up, wed just beaten the Celtics in Boston, everybody was happy. We didnt plan to meet, but after work one time, I stopped at Dan Tanas by myself. Fast facts to know about Lakers owner before release of Hulu documentary, Buss said in a 2010 interview with ESPNLosAngeles.com. Under the ownership of the Buss family, the franchise won 10 championships with Jerry leading the pack and one with his daughter, Jeanie Buss. I remember his comments in the locker room, you can look it up, about removing a certain sentence in the English language. This was like brothers. Just go out there and play. Dr. Buss never sat and waited a month or two. Have you ever seen anybody win the lottery? In lieu of flowers a memorial has been established to St. John Lutheran Church and Cottonwood Hospice both in Beatrice and Gold Crest Center in Adams. Many Los Angeles Lakers fans mourned the passing of the teams primary owner, Jerry Buss, on Monday. Leadership starts from the top, and he was one of these guys who commanded respect. My first initial meeting I was kind of thrown back, because he didnt seem like an owner. I think Dr. Buss always had a plan in life. Wed played pool until 2 or 3 in the morning he loved to play 8 ball, and he was much better than me. And while his relationship with his siblings is strained, he shares with them a reverence for their father. His daughter, Jeanie, took over the Lakers in March 2017. With Dr. Buss, Im sure he would have loved for the two of them and the team to be able to coexist a little longer and maybe get another title or two, but he let it play out. Not only evidenced by his 10 NBA Championships but also from his sports marketing successes such as creating a regional sports network, establishing the first-ever NBA dance squad, "The Laker Girls," and, of course, designing the VIP row featuring the "Jack Nicholson" seats. I dont know who spoke first about it, but the discussion of Lamar came up and as hard as it was to work our way through that negotiation, at that moment, it was the greatest feeling in the world to have been able to have done that. But he insisted he never wanted to push out his sister. I think thats what he always wanted, for this to be a family business, where we all work together. Our 1987 team was just loaded, so we expected to win every game in the playoffs. He asked a lot of questions about defense, how we were defending this or that. And he always wanted to know what my favorite book was, and I told him it was The Agony and the Ecstasy. He said, Thats interesting, because I knew Irving Stone, the author. The Sparks also experienced their share of success, winning two WNBA championships with such players as Lisa Leslie, Tamecka Dixon and DeLisha Milton-Jones. Wed celebrate, have the parade, have a party, and then hed go to Vegas. Then he started to go to Italy for a month. *In the 2004 Finals, Detroit beat L.A. 4-1. "I can remember standing in a [Works Progress Administration] line with a gunny sack, and I remember having to buy chocolate milk instead of white because it was one cent cheaper," Buss told The Boston Globe in 1987. All six of his children worked. Could you imagine sitting in the front row for every concert? Or to USC football games. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Father of Private; Private; Janie Drexel; Private and Private, Gerald Hatten "Jerry" Buss (January 27, 1933 February 18, 2013) was an American businessman, real estate investor and chemist. Everyone is tight. It was a really intimate moment. Afterwards, I had to go to the hospital for three days. Previously, she spent six years covering football, first for the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, Fla., then the Houston Chronicle and ESPN. Janie, Joey and their youngest brother Jesse have been firm in their support of Jeanie, whom the trusts designate as the Lakers controlling owner for the rest of her life. Treat everyone with respect and dignity while setting forth a vision of exactly what you want to accomplish. A funeral service was held on Tuesday, February 28th 2023 at 10:00 AM at the same location. Im not going to tell them what trade to make. On Feb. 13 of 1987, I found out from the Spurs trainer that I had been traded to the Lakers. It was weird timing, because Kobe was during that time also unhappy and there were stories of him potentially getting traded, or being able to move on from L.A., and then looking for a different situation. The next season, they wanted more of a team, so they called them the Golden Girls, and they had big pom poms. At the time, we were marveling at how much a Michael Jordan rookie card was in the early 1990s. I love it. He was very appreciative, very happy. He wanted everybody to be together, and he was right in the middle of us. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. I just think he did a great job with the opportunity that he had, and his vision has really benefitted the game. Theres not going to be a 7th game. And we all took one set. It really became overwhelming to see just how much he put into seeing every single little detail of that trade. and Ph.D. in physical chemistry by age 24. Throughout my tenure away from the team, Id send him a note every time they won a championship. Jim was later appointed as the Head of Basketball Operations but was removed in 2017 by Jeanie. He showed that you dont really have to lock yourself down in one area as a person. He had a 66 percent stake in the team when he died, and judging by the trust he set up years ago to hold the ownership stake, it has long been his intention to keep the Lakers in the Buss family. Its the first thing you do now when youre going to build a building. Very casual. He inspired the Lakers' Showtime era with his vision that basketball games must be entertaining. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Not just the owner-player, employer-employee relationship. I remember him calling me into his office, and we sat and we chatted for 10 minutes, and then there was a piece of paper that he had on his desk. His succession plan had daughter Jeanie assume his previous title as the Lakers' governor as well as its team representative at NBA Board of Governors meetings. My dad only missed the playoffs twice in his entire 34-year tenure as an owner. And I remember a nice gesture from him, when I signed my extension during my third year, and I had to have a back surgery. Slow down. He was very patient and he loved timing things out, but not necessarily rushing to places. The lying in state was held on Monday, February 27th 2023 from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Fox Funeral Home (1116 N 19th St, Beatrice, NE 68310). But with cap space so precious, and stars so important, I looked at the draft and saw how late first round picks dont make a lot in salary. He was always like that. And thats what Dr. Buss did. Very genuine, honest guy, and I respected him a lot. I remember growing up in the 1990s, and often losing to the best teams in the West, like the Supersonics, and then the Jazz. Then in his third season owning the team, they ended up calling them the Laker Girls, and established a dance team. With his franchise point guard at the helm, Dr. Buss saw to the creation of Showtime, an all-time great sports dynasty that saw the Lakers go to the NBA Finals nine times in 12 years, amassing five championships with their owner front and center. We didnt tell Mitch (Kupchak), we didnt tell anybody about that. Once that game got going, he was into it. We talked about his vision, and all types of things. [2] Joey is a member of the board of directors and serves as the President and CEO of the South Bay Lakers (formerly Los Angeles D-Fenders), an NBA G League team owned by the Lakers. When he bought the team, it was more like a dream come true he told me he always wanted to own the Lakers. In 2012, Buss was in a hospital for months with an undisclosed intestinal problem. And of course I went to greet at him and sat at his table until his guests got there. He was supposed to come out to Orlando. It wouldnt just be me reaching out. Dr. Jerry Buss's professional success and his reputation as a playboy have been well documented over the years, yet little is known about the Buss family. After we lost to the Pistons*, we had an organization type of dinner, with all the players and the media in a banquet room. I was just told that he was having this picnic for employees, and how cool that was. Smiled and laughed, drank champagne and went to the White House. He had something written on it, but it was turned over. He was a wheeler and dealer. Buss also received Cooke's ranch in California, which was valued at $10 million. Hed always end the discussion with something like, Mitch, thats my opinion but youre the expert and Ill trust your judgment. Now, the one thing that was unique about him, if it ever involved numbers, I never saw him ever write anything down or calculate anything in shorthand or with a calculator or anything like that. That was his vision. He was there to support us. I will miss her and send my deepest sympathy to the family.. We had several specialists look at him, and got a call from the guy at Stanford University, and he said, Im not worried about Ronny dying on the basketball court, I'm worried about Ronny dropping dead walking down the street. At that point, Ronny wasnt at Gonzaga anymore, so they didnt have health insurance for him; we hadnt signed him, so we werent responsible for his healthcare, and he had no personal healthcare insurance. Dr. Buss used to come down to the locker room after every game, starting in the 1981-82 season. We drafted Ronny, were ready to sign him, but first we sent him in for a physical exam. But I have to do it.. From then on, I was at his house every weekend during the season, it seemed like. He was so cool when he introduced himself, so laid back. We were just sitting there talking, and that was a pretty special moment. Magic was worth every accolade or attention he got, because he carried us. On the other hand, Jesse Buss is the Assistant General Manager of the LA Lakers. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Many of those people offered their favorite stories about what made Dr. Buss who he was in advance of Dr. Buss night on Feb. 10, 2020. Wed usually eat, hang out by the pool and talk after the morning session, and then after the evening session, a lot of times wed go to dinner together. I saw how he would be able to rebuild a team quickly to get back to contender status. He was a very well-rounded person. With the Lakers, it was one man. The hotel recommended this (gym), and I went there in the morning, and Pau Gasol was there. We had finished the parade, and Gary Vitti and the organization made the decision I needed surgery. Ill never forget Jerry Buss. Source: Los Angeles Times, Lakers expected to remain a Buss family-owned team, Mike Bresnahan, Feb. 19, 2013. He spent two years convincing Cooke to sell him the team, in May of 1979. I was finally going to join the team I grew up loving in the Bahamas as a kid, from afar. And then 25 years later, to be able to celebrate at a different stage in my life with him again (2010). He knew we had a great team, and he dealt with the good and the bad. We just clicked. He would surprise you. Copyright FameChain 2023, All rights reserved. Jeanie (Buss) was just 19 years old, or 18 years old. But when we did speak and get a chance to talk to each other, I thought it was real genuine. You werent just a spreadsheet to him. In my rookie year, my first meeting with Dr. Buss, I didnt speak English. He was a little bit more military stylistic of leadership than Jerry was. After failing a field sobriety test, Buss was taken into custody, given a blood test and booked on suspicion of driving while intoxicated with a blood-alcohol level over 0.08. When I wanted to get into the theatre business, he was the one who connected me with everybody. We had a bunch of ideal guys Kareem Abdul Jabbar and James Worthy next to Earvin. He taught me everything. You dont know when you make the commitment whats going to happen. Id run into him in Los Angeles at various places and said hello. And then when I came down to Miami, it was a whole new world for me down here. Even today, when they talk on ESPN, Greatest Owners in Sport History come on man, thats crazy! In 1988, winning for the second straight year and fulfilling the prophecy of Pat Riley (guaranteeing a repeat) was a special year but that year was so hard. One of the things he said is the most important thing about business is just having patience. I think its because he commanded that respect. To me, that sums up everything about who he was and how much he cared about always wanting to his players to feel good about him and about the brand, especially for somebody that played as many years for the Lakers as I did. He basically created premium seating, and nobody else was doing this stuff at the time. That was the plan that I understood.. Incredible. He then reached a major advertising agreement with Great Western Bank for the naming rights to The Forum, resulting in the official name of the building being changed to the Great Western Forum. That was part of the floor seat program. Some of my earliest memories were sitting courtside and seeing Magic come back from the HIV diagnosis, and him getting thrown out in one of his first games back. Dr. Buss, many nights after the games where hed come down to the locker room after everybody cleared out. Jerry West called it the Shaq Diet. A teacher doesnt turn off the student with a tone of voice. Jerry Buss was an American businessman who began his professional career as a chemist and worked at the Bureau of Mines (presently known as the Mine Safety and Health Administration). He was that fast. We were just talking friend to friend. Therefore, viewers must be curious to find out whether Buss sons ended up working with the LA Lakers. He treated people with respect. Having known that about him, after we won various championships, the relief that you saw on him when we got that trophy, it was like he was out there sweating with us. We were down, and it was that same old thing. I thought hed go in the top three or four. He wasnt born in Los Angeles, but it was his home, and he loved it here. So that was an awkward couple of days. The Buss family praised Dr. Buss for his "amazing strength and will to live" during an 18-month long battle with cancer and vowed to carry on his "unparalleled legacy" at the helm of the LA Lakers. That was my reaction. and Janie. Jim worked as the President of Los Angeles Lazers from 1985 (to 1989), succeeding his elder brother in the role. I think his success led him to the heights where people, fans loved him, and they were like him. There was a time in the early 1980s when Dr. Buss would ask me, Whos going to be the most improved team in the league this year by the greatest number of games. Hed say, Well bet a dinner on this. I said, OK, Ill bet with you. So each year, wed both pick a team, and I won for three straight years. Although not much is known about Buss partners, he was married from 1983 to 1985 and is a father. It was probably the only time I felt really stressed with the Lakers. Fortunately, we put together a miraculous comeback. He had a remarkable vision about how he wanted to see this team play. I remember being in the Finals against Philadelphia, and we were at the hotel bar of the team hotel. From online or printed sources and from publicly accessible databases. Upon his fathers death in 2013, that interest waned even more. It started with Dr. Buss, and we were all upset about 1984. He said, Oh yeah, thats my building! and I said, Well, thats great, maybe I can get free rent or something like that! But I do remember that there was this zest and this absolute excitement and enthusiasm that he had when he bought the Lakers and he became the owner. The couple has four children together two elder sons, Johnny Buss (born in 1956), James "Jim" Buss (born in 1959), and two younger daughters in Jeanie Buss (born in 1961) and Janie Buss (born in 1963). And especially on airplanes, hed always ask me what I was reading, because he was an avid reader. He was in great spirits, it was great talking, he still had his sense of humor. Hed ask me a lot of questions about how we played, what I thought and so forth. If I was offended by the book, or what my feelings were. That helped save this league. After Jerry Buss death, Jim continued as the VP of Basketball Operations while his sister, Jeanie, looked after the business side of things as the team governor and president. It didnt have naming rights like Staples Center. Their parents divorced in 1972, leaving Buss feeling emotionally abandoned. He was like, The contract is good. I played two years for Mr. Cooke, so I could really see the difference (right away). He liked to challenge us. Dr. Buss calls down there, and he says, Coop did you get your thing. I said, What are you talking about? Dr. Buss had given me a brand new Mercedes * with six miles on it for me winning Defensive Player of the Year. We would go to Italy a lot, and we were staying at the Hotel Le Boulevard in Venice on the island of Lido when we had to trade Shaq. I first met him at Muhammad Alis retirement party at the Forum. Dr. Buss left a lasting legacy, expressed through those that were close to him. I always (respected) how Dr. Buss interacted with people around the stadium. Im super thankful how Kobe wanted me on board, how Dr. Buss also was in favor and supportive of getting me and doing what it took to get me to the Lakers. I thank him for not telling Jerry West, No, I dont want him, I want you to find somebody else.. I thought I was just starting to play well, starting to blend in. Jerry played an important role as owner of the Lakers, ensuring that basketball become more than a sport, but also a spectacle. When Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers back in 1979, he turned a perennial second-place franchise into a pillar of excellence. I miss him a lot. His best finishes included third in the 1991 World Series of Poker seven-card stud event and second place in the 2003 World Poker Tour Freeroll invitational. It was incredible. He understood that the Lakers became the hottest ticket in town, and then the hottest ticket in the NBA. Immediately when Dr. Buss bought the team, he invited me to the party, and he said, You know Jamaal, if Muhammad wont come to the mountain, the mountain will come to Muhammad. Theres a very subtle story there, because what he was saying is, we could both reach out. [7] On February 14, 2013, it was revealed that Buss had been battling cancer since 2012. Every day, wed just hang out together between practice sessions. He knew that he had this hot team in the Lakers in the early years of Showtime, but the Kings were always a tough sell. Thats why its such an important part of his formula for success, and why its important to find that winning formula and to continue to keep the team focused on winning, and thats what Im trying to do. *It was a Mercedes Benz 420 in teal, a color that nobody else had. Hes a once-in-a-lifetime kind of person. We were playing for not just ourselves but everybody. He didnt know what the future held, I didnt know what the future held. I thought, Wow, this is awesome. But Jerry West and Jerry Buss nurtured me, they mentored me. Buss Family Trust is a 66% controlling ownership of the Lakers passed to Jerry Buss' six children via a trust, with each child receiving an equal vote (11% for each child). Later on, Dancing Barry. Hes probably one of the best owners in the history of the NBA. but Jerry's family is . He had a brilliant mind, and he made a fortune in real estate because he was able to see the opportunity and bring everything together, and thats how he built his wealth. It is believed to be correct at the time of inputting and is presented here in good faith. It wasnt just owner-athlete relationship, it was more like a family with his employees. Jerry's 66 percent ownership of the team passed to each of his six children via a trust, equating to 11 percent per child. The love of his life was the Lakers and his kids. Its not good for me. He was really a very nice guy who enjoyed the fun things in life. He was a first-time owner. He just really capped it off and said what we all were thinking. When he bought the team, there were literally two prices: the downstairs and the upstairs. 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