reason why you will see different A-list celebs from any industry courtside at So theyre chatting one time, and he says, Hey, would you like to put your name on the building? They say, How would that work? Dr. Buss says, Well, youre going to pay me, wed agree upon a price, and it would become the Great Western Forum. And boom. return to LA, where he continued his studies at the University of Southern But one things I remember that stood out to me, as nice as Dr. Buss was, he was really a good owner but he looked at me and said, Look, I understand youre upset. I remember growing up in the 1990s, and often losing to the best teams in the West, like the Supersonics, and then the Jazz. En route to all the championships, the Lakers put together the NBA's best record since Dr. Buss bought the team from Jack Kent Cooke, going 1786-926 for a winning percentage of .659 (San Antonio is the only other franchise above .600 at .606). There is no good answer for the loss of a loved one. Thats how he was. 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. A new 10-part docuseries on the family titled Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers details the family's rich history and how Jerry came to own the team. He was an incredibly visionary. It was an extension of the brand, a way to reach Los Angeles. January 7, 2022 by Daily Dodge. Im like the janitor, pretty much. In 1999-2000, we got to the Western Finals against Portland, which was absolutely exciting. He was thinking of Kobe. I dont do death very well. Dr. Buss is walking around, hes in the (various) rooms, hes hanging out, talking to people, shaking hands. In 1974, Jerry also became a producer for the movie Black Eye with Fred the Hammer Williamson star. Buss Got Involved With The Laker In The 1990s. And I walked right by him. The sale of the team would require a majority vote among the six children. Buss married JoAnn Mueller and had four children; Johnny Buss in 1957, Jim Buss in 1959, Jeanie Buss in 1961, and Janie Buss in 1964. Today, the value of the Lakers is up to $1 Billion as one of the most valuable sports franchises. After Jerrys death, Jeanie became the president of the Lakers. But it was one of the toughest things Ive encountered physically, mentally and emotionally. 1959), Jeanie (b. all-around experience for spectators. Image Credit: The Kelly Clarkson Show/YouTube. Well, without much revealing, let us jump right into the deep biography of Jerry Buss, starting with some quick facts. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Celebrate the Life and Accomplishments of Dr. Jerry Buss. Now, HBOs Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty provides a dramatized version of that period. And we just talked about how cool it would be if we could actually end up playing together, but I hardly gave it a thought, because I thought there was no way they would trade me to the Lakers. can come close to matching that number since 1980. Very casual. There were eight or nine different price codes, and each one had so many thousands of seats, not counting the floor seats. James Jim Hatten Buss was born on November 9, 1959, and is the second eldest son of Jerry Buss. Click here to Start FameChaining. 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. Playing for him was one of the best highlights of my life. 20-year-old rookie point guard Magic Johnson. They watched the game and came out cheering and smiling, and I asked whats happening, and he said, Were getting ice cream! I was excited to have the ice cream thats probably when becoming a Lakers fan began for me. Ill never forget Jerry Buss. He was talking about wanting to get out of Memphis and all this stuff, and Im like, Man itd be great if we could play together. Ive always had respect for him, known his family. And he would tweak a price code by $1.25, or $0.75, and in my mind I know hes going to want to know the gross potential, so Im getting out my calculator, but before I input the numbers, hes already telling me what the gross potential is. He was a brilliant, incredible owner, but he was even a better person with a great heart. Stanley Cups before he sold the team to Bruce McNall in 1988. I love it. He was very appreciative, very happy. He wanted everybody to be together, and he was right in the middle of us. Dr. Buss saw the Lakers becoming something, more of an entertainment value than just a sports value, and the league has adopted, to a large degree, that same mentality. Although not much is known about Buss partners, he was married from 1983 to 1985 and is a father. He wasnt born in Los Angeles, but it was his home, and he loved it here. However, that changes in the season finale as Buss wishes to bring more family members into the new family business. Or to USC football games. I didnt really have an agent at the time. 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. He saved Ronnys life, and he didnt have to. He took me to (some parties), and different places, introducing me to people, and it was a great time. I just remember generations of Lakers have come through this organization, obviously, and the team that we had at the time werent really knowledgeable of the history of the franchise. I was finally going to join the team I grew up loving in the Bahamas as a kid, from afar. Although he stepped away from active involvement in the Lakers operations in 2017, Johnny seemingly remains a part-owner in the franchise. Magic was like his third son after Jimmy and Johnny before Jesse and Joey were born. That would be incredible.. And thats how I recollect my relationship with him. He used to always say, Now Bill, you go ahead and tell me what you think, and then you listen to what I have to say. It is believed to be correct at the time of inputting and is presented here in good faith. Jerry West called it the Shaq Diet. There was prime real estate, and it was about location, location, location. Buss said this or Dr. Theyd fax over every scenario they had for Shaq trades. When we won Game 4 in the Garden, that was the big difference. (and pretty much everyone else) were starved of success in the 90s. In my rookie year, my first meeting with Dr. Buss, I didnt speak English. Dont talk about the owner. Remarkably, the Lakers made the Finals in nearly half the seasons he was in charge (16). Clutch and going to meet everybody. Buss was an owner of the Phoenix location of the Playboy Club. WNBA history to dunk in a game. 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. It was just a conversation (Dr. Buss) and I had. And I offered Vlade Divac to everyone, a starting center. He talked to the janitors, the people that cleaned Staples Center. I was taken back by his willingness to be one of the guys, and his openness with his players was very enjoyable to be around. He truly cared about how we were doing, how our families were doing. This one, though, would He brings a unique perspective and analytical approach to his writing. There was no secondary market, but he knew that he was leaving money on the table and he was under indexing for certain price points. And he would wander off into other aspects of life, and he was so smart, and so brilliant, so well read in a lot of different areas that it was truly intriguing for me at that time, unbeknownst to me what was going on, that I was getting the education of a lifetime as a head coach and also as a man. However, Johnny stated that he did not wish to be a part of the family business. That was his vision. He didnt walk around with a big hammer. We used to meet almost every month at his house and have lunch, and the lunch was always the same. Some people said, How dare you, you cant make it commercial. But yes. In the summer of 1986, I had no idea that I was about to be traded to San Antonio. I was a nervous wreck the entire game, and we won the game, and I delivered the best that I could at the time. Its about bringing out the best from that person. And I remember I was working as a scout when my dad called and let me know about us acquiring Pau Gasol. Among his numerous philanthropic efforts, Dr. Buss focused on supporting education and the needs of disadvantaged youth and the elderly, leading to honors from such organizations as the City of Hope, NAACP, the B'nai B'rith, United Negro College Fund, United Indian Development Associations, American Hebrew University, National Organization of Women, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Los Angeles Human Relations Commission and Heart of Los Angeles Youth among many others. So he lined things up, and Id get samples, and wed talk it through, and hed say, Oh! Dr. Jerry Buss, the longtime patriarch of the Los Angeles Lakers and the greatest owner in this history of professional sports, passed away on February 18, 2013 at the age of 80. Youve got this really good looking coach in Pat Riley whos completely Hollywood. I remember his comments in the locker room, you can look it up, about removing a certain sentence in the English language. Very happy.*L.A. It was the first time we actually felt a part of something. He also held Its not just another team in the league. to be in the 2003 season, where the Sparks made the Finals but were beaten by (818) 892-7093 / team. Lydus Buss{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Lydus Buss", "gender": "Male" }, Jessie Buss{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Jessie Buss", "gender": "Female" }, relationship resumed before 1975 until before 1990, Johnny Buss{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Johnny Buss", "gender": "Male" }, born 1956, age 66 (approx.) Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty follows Jerry Buss, the owner of the LA Lakers, as he tries to steer the newly acquired NBA team towards success. He was just one of those type of guys. When Jerry Buss passed away in 2013, his 66% ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers passed to his six children, with each receiving 11%. Theres not going to be a 7th game. Wed played pool until 2 or 3 in the morning he loved to play 8 ball, and he was much better than me. But Wrigley was also the name of the family who owned the team, and also the name of their chewing gum, Wrigleys Spearmint Gum. Stern said, The NBA has lost a visionary owner whose influence on our league Jeanie (Buss) was just 19 years old, or 18 years old. He became the owner of the Sparks Id have at least expected a phone call or something. That was a big part of growing up for all of us. He wanted me to be the highest paid assistant in the NBA. As business people, our job is to drive a profit, but you do that also by taking care of your customers. So he created the Senate seats program sort of the precursor to the club suites program. Id never been in a Porsche before. He then returned to Los Angeles and attended the University of Southern California (USC), where he earned an MS and PhD in physical chemistry in 1957 at the age of 24. He was also a well-known 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. And I was really just flabbergasted. explained this lack of acceptance made him a very compassionate person. This [2], Buss' marriage to the former JoAnn Mueller ended in divorce in 1972 after having five children: Lee (b. That's why, when I created this new uniform, I wanted people to see that. It was cool knowing that he appreciated those little things, that effort. Thiry has appeared on nationally televised sports broadcasts on Fox Sports 1. You have to be special and stand out from the crowd, Read More Lauren Tannehill: Ryan Tannehill, Career, Guns & Net WorthContinue, Your email address will not be published. Everybody today should be thanking him. But Buss was wise to plan early for the team and make his wishes specific and legally binding. Jerry Buss had an on-off relationship with, Puppi Buss had an on-off relationship with. He had thought about it. Jerry's inner circle entourage included John Rockwell, Ron and David Wilder, Miguel A. Nunez, Lance Davis, Mark Fulton, and Brian J. Sadler. Jerry Buss Net Worth 2023: Wiki Biography, Married, Family, Measurements, Height, Salary, Relationships. The trust stipulates that the ownership, now held by his ex-wife and six children, cannot be divided and sold off in pieces. I do remember when Lamar (Odom) was a free agent, and Im not sure what our financial situation was at the time, but it was a rough negotiation, because wed just won the 2009 championship. Because the Lakers threw everything into the pot, anticipating and hoping to be able to acquire Shaq. In addition, the fund was used for two endowed chairs and an endowed scholarship fund for students with a chemistry degree. I connected with him more through others, some of the people that were tight with him, who would always tell me that Dr. some siblings selling their 11% stake in the team (valued at $3 billion at the Jerry was born August 18, 1936 in Columbus, Wisconsin, to Lawrence and Irma Buss. They won the NBA The three-peat was not The Lakers were very successful under Buss' ownership, winning 10 NBA championships with such players as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Pau Gasol, and with coaches Pat Riley and Phil Jackson. Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. [17], Buss had two more children with a girlfriend, Karen Demel: Joey (b. Buss celebrated his birthday on the 27th of January, and his zodiac sign was Aquarius, which represented his personality as creative, talented, advanced, and hardworking. Our 1987 team was just loaded, so we expected to win every game in the playoffs. He eventually passed He was so cool when he introduced himself, so laid back. Joey owns 11% of the Lakers, the same as his brothers and sisters,. When he bought the team, it was more like a dream come true he told me he always wanted to own the Lakers. Get all the Lakers news you need in Dan Woike's weekly newsletter. We really were a family, and we were intact as a team, and all the families were invested. Once they got on the floor, they seemed to be able to put all that behind them and do what they needed to do. Because every family member of the Buss family Ive ever met knows how to treat people. Dr. Buss was incredibly intuitive and in touch with the fans from a business standpoint. 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. At the end of the day, it was almost like a perfect puzzle. It doesnt mean you can always win every year, but you have to give them something that theyre proud of and that they can connect to. If it wasnt for Dr. Buss, thered be no Jerry Jones. The Dwarfs were gifted championship rings when the Lakers won titles and were granted carte blanche access to all Laker home games and events at the Fabulous Forum / Great Western Forum / Staples Center. Dr. Jerry Buss was a larger-than-life character whose impact on US sports can still be felt today, nearly a decade after his passing. Later on, Dancing Barry. causing a significant power struggle in the organization. He was amazing with his connections and who he knew, and now, I just had to put the work in, and I did that. . And that was pretty special to hear. He was a first-time owner. at the story behind the success. Lakers under his ownership. See the Elon Musk family tree here at FameChain. We actually ended up making an offer, and then taking the offer off the table, because it still was not acceptable. I didnt get a phone call, or any kind of notification that, Well, Jerrys leaving, Mitch, and Im hiring you. I remember Jerry West retiring, and me saying, OK, whos the GM going to be? I think somebody asked me to reach out to Dr. Buss, and Dr. Buss said, Well Mitch, of course you are. I said, Thank you very much. I think he assumed it, but of course I didnt assume it. County in 2007. During the tournament, he became the third-best finish. Between 2006 and 2011, Id see him when I was coaching, and wed reflect on memories. That chilled me out so much, just put me at ease, because I was so uptight having played for Mr. Cooke Dr. Buss was just such a great boss to play for. The hotel recommended this (gym), and I went there in the morning, and Pau Gasol was there. I stopped in there, and Dr. Buss walked in. 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 was the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning 10 league championships that were highlighted by the team's Showtime era during the 1980s. He was the first one to see that opportunity to sell the naming rights of the building, which really was an asset to the company, because now instead of going to Forum, you were going to the Great Western Forum, and Great Western was one of the big banks in Southern California at the time. And especially on airplanes, hed always ask me what I was reading, because he was an avid reader. That confluence doesnt happen very often, and Dr. Buss was very much able to get with the moment and enjoy the moment. So, we were preparing for the offseason in 1996 when we signed Shaq and traded for the rights to draft Kobe. Have you ever seen anybody win the lottery? Required fields are marked *. You saw his mannerisms go with every little gyration that was going on. In contrast, her brother, Jim, managed the basketball side of it at one point as the vice president of basketball operations. died in 2013. During those years, we would always go to Hawaii for training camp, and Dr. Buss would really enjoy when wed have a team dinner at the beginning of camp at Kobes Japanese Steak House. Professor Uju Anya analyzes race, gender, sexual orientation, and social class identities in the context of learning a new language via the experiences of African American students. Buss purchased the team, reported to be worth around $1 billion, in 1979. We talked about where we came from, what our lives were like, and in a lot of respects we had some similarities in our lives. Later on in the day, Dr. Buss was having a picnic for all his employees. It wasnt owner-player, it was two guys hanging out. Jesse would just rattle off the stats. Theyd grab a card, and hed ask them what their stats were that year. Your email address will not be published. The Kings were okay It was nice working for him. Moreover, the officers saw his golden Mercedes-Benz on the wrong side of the road. Thats pretty good. It wasnt like I was negotiating for a contract, or I was currently playing, or he was looking for any ideas about other players. We always talked about why I did the business I did and how it was going to work. Having him around, you always felt support. He wanted to win every single year, but he also knew that was impossible. Buss was an inaugural member of the USC College Board of Councilors. He was always right. championship, and Lisa Leslie made headlines as she became the first woman in And the level of intensity at practice rose instantly with his appearance in the gym. And Jerry West pulled off the biggest free agent signing there ever was when he brought Shaquille ONeal in 1996. 6 Reasons Why You Should Never Count Cards, Online Poker vs Live Poker: 9 Key Differences You Need To Know. In 2002, when the WNBA was restructured to give its teams individual owners, Buss took ownership of the Sparks. Youre serious about winning and your craft. He understood me. But he wouldnt want us to watch as fans, hed be asking what we thought about specific players, how we thought certain free agents might fit on the team. the strong work ethic that was the platform for his later business success. After Jerrys death, his children took up various roles within the organization, with Jeanie Buss ultimately becoming the president and controlling owner of the Lakers.
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