was another memorable one, as the team clinched their second successive The Great Western Forum is a Los Angeles indoor arena that used to host many games for the Buss family's teams. 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.. I was emotionally and mentally exhausted. 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. I thought they had a great relationship that seemed to blossom until the day that Dr. Buss passed away. Finally, during the draft, Charlotte took him, and we were able to acquire Kobes rights. He showed that you dont really have to lock yourself down in one area as a person. He was one of a kind, man. It seems like thatd be something that would be below his pay grade, but it wasnt. the great depression era in the US. How Your Local Grocery Store Is Designed Like A Casino, These Are Officially The Rudest Premier League Fans, Top Tips To Improve Your Chances Of Winning Scratch Cards, Highest And Lowest Gambling Taxes Around The World, Editorial But when we did speak and get a chance to talk to each other, I thought it was real genuine. I had always wanted to know, How did you work the deal with Magic to sign him to a 25-year, 25-million-dollar contract? And he gave me how easy it was, how he took this and put it in an annuity somewhere else, and so on. I even wrote a paper when I was in seventh grade about how Kobe was going to be a future Hall of Fame player, and that the combination of Shaq and Kobe was going to be one of the best duos of all time. As a brilliant student and talented person, he was pretty good at doing business and investing in real estate. So I was just wandering around, and I walked right by this one man who was wearing jeans and maybe an old sports jacket. The Finals were tough, though, against Boston. At the end of the day, it was almost like a perfect puzzle. To pay tribute towards the legendary human being, Jerry Buss, hundreds of his friends, relatives, colleagues gathered at the Nokia Theatre L.A. On February 22, he was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in a private ceremony. He earned a scholarship closed in 1978 (although it has returned since), and Jerry Buss would make That meant a lot to us at that particular time, because it was a very difficult time, uncertain. Well, except for the getting along part. It was everything that you would hope for in a new teammate thats going to make a significant contribution to the team. 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. I think thats why people just adore him so. Id never been in a Porsche before. Its going to be completely out of line with what people have ever made in this league. One day you felt he was coming, another you didnt finally, Shaq says, If you can do this financially, Ill come. So I called Jerry Buss, and I asked, Jerry can we do this? He said yes. That would be incredible.. [20], In 2012, Buss was in a hospital for months with an undisclosed intestinal problem. 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. He realized there was an opportunity there, that perhaps if he could meet with him, he could convince Jack Kent Cooke to sell him the team. Luckily, Buss got a rapid and massive success in real estate investment and earned good money from it. Anyone can attend an NBA He wasnt born in Los Angeles, but it was his home, and he loved it here. We didnt have 10 people doing it. has been some success, most notably the championship win in 2020. Should you have information that conflicts with anything shown please make us aware by email. Brown would make a And I would come back in town, and we would see each other. It was a remarkable experience that Ill remember forever. 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. He was previously married to JoAnn Mueller. He was just really conscious of people around him and respected people that worked for him. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. He would talk about how he could go anywhere in the city and people loved the Lakers. Buss is survived by sons Johnny, Jim, Joey and Jesse and daughters Jeanie Buss and Janie Drexel; eight grandchildren; former wife JoAnn; half-sister Susan Hall of Phoenix; half-brother Micky. questionable behavior in his private life, Jerry Busss legacy is two-fold. We were playing for not just ourselves but everybody. Its more than just going out there and playing. He was an actor, known for Law of the Lawless (1964), Arli$$ (1996) and High Stakes Poker (2006). Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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 just one of those type of guys. When Earvin announced he was HIV positive, it was a tough day. He sold the team in 2006. He joined the Lakers in 1998 as an apprentice to General Manager Jerry West. Magic was worth every accolade or attention he got, because he carried us. His vision that, Im going to get this big guy, and were going to go from there. He was very positive, and his dreams were never unrealistic, and set the tempo for the franchise to keep moving forward. brother, Jim, as Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations in 2017, Jeanie Buss, who worked in numerous roles for her father over the years, has taken the most prominent role of all Jerrys children. Jerry was blessed with a pair of brown eyes and dark brown hair color. As a player, you have to put your trust in the organization and some organizations nowadays have so many different shareholders and board members and people that are making decisions by committee and all this crazy stuff. I was thankful he gave me an opportunity to get involved, and more importantly, get involved with someone like him where I learned a lot. Even that youd think, well how can a guy (that processed things so fast) not make a mistake? It was very personal with him. Wed celebrate, have the parade, have a party, and then hed go to Vegas. Jerry Buss has six children. It is believed to be correct at the . I couldnt believe it. general, owe him a debt of gratitude. I love it. He was very appreciative, very happy. The first hour was always just talking and telling stories and visiting. Laker Girls. Daniel's 5th outing as Bond gets bums back on seats in the cinema. In any industry, when your boss says youre doing a good job, thats what you want to hear. 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. Furthermore, stand-up comedy was something she always wanted to try, eventually leading her to develop a comedy show with Mindy Lahiri, Elaine Ko, and Linda Rambis. She became the first Dr. Buss had been hospitalized much of the past 18 months in a battle which "showed his amazing strength and will to live. [30][31] 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. Lakers had great players like Kareen Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Pau Gasol, Magic Johnson, Shaquille ONeal, and Kobe Bryant. So Jerry Buss does not still own the Lakers, but his children do. Its easy to say that he was the best sports owner around the world. Every day, wed just hang out together between practice sessions. Its very hard to achieve that level of success. All that was because my dad sat me down and said he thought Kobe was going to be a real good player. He was a great guy and someone who I really cared about a lot. In 2002, when the WNBA was restructured to give its teams individual owners, Buss took ownership of the Sparks. And here Im trying to be a good employee and be able to inform him, and yet hes informing me of the changes he wanted to make. It was a way to motivate us to be efficient. I remember when he explained it to me we all knew Wrigley Field, where the Cubs played. But he took the time (with me) a couple of times a year. In 1974, Buss produced a movie named Black Eye starring former gridiron star Fred "the Hammer" Williamson. 9018 Balboa Blvd., #620, Northridge, CA 91325 I havent seen that a lot in my 11 years being around the league, owners being that human. Then due to (certain circumstances), Jerry wanted us to be co-coaches. Moreover, the officers saw his golden Mercedes-Benz on the wrong side of the road. Let the women be the show, get the attention. We had a few. and Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Southern California at 24. After a decade of competitive teams that werent yet contenders, Dr. Buss and Jerry West signed free agent Shaquille ONeal, and traded for teenager Kobe Bryant, in 1996, then eventually brought Phil Jackson in to set up the next run of Lakers championships. Buss achieved M.S. later when Jessie married a plumber named Stub Brown. Jerry (West) was so happy. Gerald Hatten Buss, known as Jerry Buss, was one of the owners of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Sparks. Read More:What Was Jerry Buss Net Worth at the Time of His Death? We made it a mission to play them again in 1985, to prove to ourselves and the world that we could beat them. I just felt like with the passing of Dr. Buss, they need to understand what it means to wear this uniform. The three-peat was not It wasnt that I was around Dr. Buss that much that I had to rely on him for something, but when you were around him damn he made you feel good. We used to meet almost every month at his house and have lunch, and the lunch was always the same. It was an honor to be able to be asked to say some words. This Rookie owner, rookie player and we did it. Donald Trump. And I remember I was working as a scout when my dad called and let me know about us acquiring Pau Gasol. RIP Jerry Buss the greatest owner in the history of American sport. Jessie Buss Cause Of Death? So I had the surgery, and one of the first phone calls I got when I got home was from Dr. Buss, just calling to check in on me. Magic was way ahead of the game, and now Kobe Bryant and LeBron James and some of these guys have been (following in those footsteps) in business. 14 on its Hot 100 list, which honored those who had the most significant influence on Scottish culture that year. He always wanted to make his family feel important, and he showed that in many different ways. I get this call, and (am told) Dr. Buss wants to see you. 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. So Jerry picked me up at the airport in his 944 Porsche. But it was one of the toughest things Ive encountered physically, mentally and emotionally. Buss' involvement with the Los Angeles Lakers began in the mid-1990s, initially through her job at the Forum and then in other capacities. Some might wonder if his death will bring radical changes to the ownership of the team, but according to his family, that's not very likely. He was in the entertainment business. Wed played pool until 2 or 3 in the morning he loved to play 8 ball, and he was much better than me. Dr. Buss paid out of his own pocket for a million-dollar surgery to save the kids life, not knowing if hed ever play basketball. He was with Brent Musberger after the game with the trophy in his hand, and he was shaking it: This has removed the most odious sentence in the English language It can never again be said that the Lakers have never beaten the Celtics.. Kurt Rambis doing his usual mischief, (having fun) with Dr. Buss. He was not nearly as animated in the other championships as he was in that one, for obvious reasons. Buss was an inaugural member of the USC College Board of Councilors. 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. Jerry was born August 18, 1936 in Columbus, Wisconsin, to Lawrence and Irma Buss. And families who must make decisions about large amounts of money are bound to encounter conflict now and then. He taught us that we should do our best to be happy, and do things that make us happy; whether or not that was basketball was up to us. 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