A new 10-part docuseries on the family titled Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers details the familys rich history and how Jerry came to own the team. Hed say, Jeanie, the Lakers are what connects the community, and when theyre not winning, then were not being part of the community. Its almost like the Lakers are owned by the fans. Wed talk about business. 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. Jeanie Buss, the teams governor and controlling owner has made clear the Lakers are not for sale. I remember when he explained it to me we all knew Wrigley Field, where the Cubs played. And I remember after Game 7 of the 2010 Finals against Boston, down on the court amongst all the fanfare, Dr. Buss and I huddled up a little bit and kind of smiled. EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Jerry Buss' children intend on carrying out their father's succession plan for the Los Angeles Lakers following the iconic owner's death Monday. After all the experiences Ive had in pro sports, Ive never had a better owner. Buss became an owner in World Team Tennis, the Los Angeles Strings. It was good to see him, man. It was a ritual. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. There is no photo or video of Betty Jean Buss.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. Thats one thing different about Dr. Buss different from owners back in the day he was a celebrity too. Many Los Angeles Lakers fans mourned the passing of the team's primary owner, Jerry Buss, on Monday. Theyd grab a card, and hed ask them what their stats were that year. They traded their starting center for a guard. And he would tell me where to go get the information. (Jessie later remarried when Jerry was 12 years old.). He wanted it to be entertainment mixed in with a great team, and he was fortunate enough that he had a great team. He was supposed to come out to Orlando. And there were always all these hours spent talking basketball, and him trying to prep me for a bigger role. People thought it meant you had to have a superstar, but it really wasnt about that, it was about the winning, and then people would see the superstars because we were winning. My thoughts and prayers are with the family & friends of Dr. Jerry Buss. Jeanie Buss, Magic Johnson, Jerry Buss, and Phil Jackson, Lakers celebrate their 1985 Championship over the Celtics. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. And then at the end of that, they said someone talked to Magic (Johnson), and Magic approved the trade. We all understood that, we all knew that, we were all for it. He was a great man and an incredible friend. He would call me in some days and hed say Hey, hey, be a coach. One time, we shook everybody up. He really looked at it as entertainment. He was my mentor. Worthy, Riley, Magic, Cooper, and Buss Celebrate the 1987 Title. Thats when we found out about his enlarged aortic root. Johnny Buss, owner of the Ice House Comedy Club and co-owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, poses for a photo in front of a new neon sign inside the establishment's lobby in Pasadena, on Friday, Feb . Everything changed when me and my brother Joey were at my dads beach house in Carlsbad, and he told us: Were going to hire Phil Jackson, but you cant tell anybody. I was 11 at the time, and I knew he had been the Bulls coach, but I didnt know what it necessarily meant. And teams like the Spurs were getting guys late in the first round that were contributors. It wasnt much of a workout. At the time, they only had a dial up internet connection, and a lot of data needed to be presented to my dad from the front office, so theyd use the fax machine. but Jerry's family is . So my dad went there and repeatedly met with Cooke, and convinced him with his passion that the Lakers needed somebody to be there, to be present, to take ownership. The Lakers were very successful under Buss' ownership, winning ten NBA championships with such players as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. Never embarrassed anybody. Jeanie, Dr. Buss and I spent a lot of time talking about price sensitivity. We were coming off a championship. 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. The sale of the team would require a majority vote among the six children. 5 out of He had an appeal to the common man, and thats what I think when I look back at everything. 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. Not just in the Lakers and what theyd become but he had a plan. He had a home in San Diego, where I live, and we used to go to training camp in Hawaii just about every year, and a couple times we were on the same flight heading over from San Diego. When asked if selling his shares was part of his aim, Johnny said, Absolutely.. We were out there on family vacation, and (Dr. Buss) was in Italy, and he hopped a plane to come sit with me. So he lined things up, and Id get samples, and wed talk it through, and hed say, Oh! The NBA lost a great man. You can. I was a rookie. I remember watching those games with my dad. And I was really just flabbergasted. I had been a coach for three years, and I told him no, this is not something I should do. Its opening night for Staples Center: Nov. 3, 1999. He did not make demands. We had something to talk about immediately, and he was flattered to know that I was aware. With the Lakers, it was one man. He really was. So I came to this park, and I was with Jerry West and somebody from the Lakers front office, and I got disconnected from my hosts. He lost some weight worrying about whether he was going to be able to convince the big fella to come West. It started with Dr. Buss, and we were all upset about 1984. [7] On February 14, 2013, it was revealed that Buss had been battling cancer since 2012. With me, he was always classy. I think thats why people just adore him so. Magics family is like this, and here we are winning all these games. I just looked at him. Obviously he went to USC, and he loved the band. If anybody thought that Johnny or Jeanie or Jimmy or any of his kids could fill his shoes, theyre grandly mistaken, Johnny said. And thats what Dr. Buss wanted, to create a place where it could be magical, almost like Disneyland. 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. I remember walking into his bedroom and seeing 20 or 30 pieces of fax paper spread all over his bed as he was pouring over and analyzing every scenario and option. I have my head down, and he says, Coop, you know it was a great year for us, a lot of people didnt think that we could get this done, but here we are finally and we did it. So I said, Doc, what team am I going to? He goes, What are you talking about? I go, Doc, what team am I going to? I cant do that! He said, Well thats what I had in mind. I said, I cant pick up the tab for a whole group of people! And that was the end of our betting routine. Working with front-office executives West, Bill Sharman and Mitch Kupchak, Buss spent lavishly to win his titles, often running the NBA's highest payroll while also paying . Most people at that level were pretty standoffish. One of the things he said is the most important thing about business is just having patience. The . 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. Whos your favorite band? We owned a box at the Forum as a family, so we went to a lot of events, and it was the beginning of him seeing an opportunity and pursuing it with a passion that when you own these kinds of teams, you feel, as an owner, that the team is going to somebody who cares about it as much as you do. I cant imagine coming into the league at 18 in a grown mans world. Well, at that time, Jack Kent Cooke was going through a divorce, and he moved to Nevada to establish residency in order to process his divorce as a citizen of Nevada, which had different settlement laws. Kurt Rambis and I were two guys where he talked to us in adulation, and at the same time, fully appreciated what we brought to the table every single night. 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. Fast facts to know about Lakers owner before release of Hulu documentary, Buss said in a 2010 interview with ESPNLosAngeles.com. "With him, it's never been about putting money in his pocket. He was so quick. 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). I remember thinking it was really cool to have somebody go to the NBA straight from high school, somebody that was only five or six years older than me. He was raised by his mother, Jessie, who worked as a waitress. Therefore, viewers must be curious to find out whether Buss sons ended up working with the LA Lakers. In 1989, he gave me a five-year contract, and they hadnt even hired the head coach yet. I remember the first game that we played in Michigan*, at the Silver Dome, and it was a home game for us. When he said that on the podium at the Forum, we were just trying to celebrate the previous title, but he knew what he was doing. He saved Ronnys life, and he didnt have to. Everybodys been calling, but this is the call Ive been waiting on. When we made the decision to move to Staples Center, we had to price the building. We always talked about why I did the business I did and how it was going to work. Because the Lakers threw everything into the pot, anticipating and hoping to be able to acquire Shaq. We were so confident. Hey Pat, come on down and lets have a talk. The next thing I know, theres a number in front of me with more money than I could ever dream of making in my life. His vision really helped make these moments possible. Id never been in a Porsche before. He had a huge, beautiful office with all kinds of knick knacks and stuff like that. Dr. Buss will always be forever in my heart. Some people said, How dare you, you cant make it commercial. But yes. 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). Would you like to offer Betty Jean Busss loved ones a condolence message? And Jerry West pulled off the biggest free agent signing there ever was when he brought Shaquille ONeal in 1996. He joined the Lakers in 1998 as an apprentice to General Manager Jerry West. Where is Jerry Buss Daughter Jeanie Buss Now. He owns The Ice House, a comedy club in Pasadena, California, and has also shown interest in politics. 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. Everybody today should be thanking him. The first time I met him was when we were in training camp in Hawaii, when he came into the gym in his jeans and his Hawaiian shirt, just watching practice. I was just looking at my dad in awe, with how incredible that was. We didnt plan to meet, but after work one time, I stopped at Dan Tanas by myself. Gerald Hatten "Jerry" Buss was born on Jan. 27, 1933, in Salt Lake City. He didnt know what the future held, I didnt know what the future held. The purchase price, $67.5 million, made it the largest transaction in sports history at that time. The Lakers, Kings and WNBA's Sparks later played their home games at the Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena) starting in 1999. Never raised his voice, and that inspired people. 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). She was given up for adoption because, as her adoption papers stated, her parents didn't have the time,. Am I going to have to go back to serve the army? He just wanted to assure me that his promises never changed about winning championships, and being patient in the process, waiting for the right piece to come along. LOVIN' IT! At the end of the day, it was almost like a perfect puzzle. The Lakers were the crown jewel. We didnt have 10 people doing it. Buss also owned other professional sports franchises in Southern California. That was an absolutely incredible gesture on his part, which I always appreciated, to say the least. In 1979, Buss bought the Lakers, the NHL's Kings and The Forum, where the Lakers and Kings played their games, from Cooke in exchange for $67.5 million, the Chrysler Building and other properties. At that point, we seemed unbeatable. Hed call me every once in a while. Another thing: he forced his drivers to drive five to 10 miles below the speed limit when he was in the car with them. If you got up five miles over the speed limit, hed say, What are you doing? He had to liquidate everything, practically, to get it. He inspired the Lakers' Showtime era with his vision that basketball games must be entertaining. There wasnt a lot of sour grapes between players and Dr. Buss. I knew he and Magic were really close. [3] Buss started as a chemist for the Bureau of Mines (now the Mine Safety and Health Administration); he then briefly worked in the aerospace industry and was on the faculty of USC's chemistry department. We werent getting better to the point that I needed our team to be. After all of this, not only have I resigned from [the Lakers], Ive resigned from being a member of the Buss family, Johnny says. Youre serious about winning and your craft. He understood me. However, that changes in the season finale as Buss wishes to bring more family members into the new family business. I stopped in there, and Dr. Buss walked in. Just a great feeling to play for an organization that had a leader like Dr. Buss. Sources close to the Buss family who arent authorized to speak publicly disputed that. Jerry's 66 percent ownership of the team passed to each of his six children via a trust, equating to 11 percent per child. When they were taking a break, let the women have center stage. Not much is known about Johnnys early life or educational background. Kurt Rambis doing his usual mischief, (having fun) with Dr. Buss. It was an important economic trend, another thing that he identified, and brought the NBA into more prominence. In the mid to late 1970s, Dr. Buss owned the Los Angeles Strings of World Team Tennis. I thought hed go in the top three or four. Money has never been a part of my being. Through his 80th birthday on January 27, 2013, he had not attended a Lakers game during the 201213 season due to health concerns. Click here to Start FameChaining. He had this amazing feel for price sensitivity and value. Here are the tributes to Betty Jean Buss. I just think he did a great job with the opportunity that he had, and his vision has really benefitted the game. The fact that he was still one of us in a sense, because it was all about him having a good time, and if we met him at any certain point, hed always invite us over if we were at the same club or something. Such a meaningful and historical figure to all of us that who love this game and this League. It was really a great celebration of life for him, and I was so proud of that. On February 14, 2013, it was revealed that Jerry had been battling cancer since the year before and four days later, he passed away at age 80. This is a year after Id left, and I remember we had dinner up on Sunset Boulevard, and Id signed this humongous contract, or at that time it was, and he looked me in the eye and said, Read my lips, do you realize how much money that is? He tried to put things in perspective as to what I was about ready to do in New York, and what they were going to pay me, and that I deserved it, I earned it, everything that Id done in Los Angeles he was proud of, and he was proud that Chris and I could go to New York and start our careers over again there. He talked about beating the Celtics. You dont realize these things until you get my age, that you have these kinds of people, that theyre not just your boss. He was definitely someone that was willing to do whatever it took to bring the city of Los Angeles a winner, and win at the highest level. You have to look at me coming in as a rookie, with Hall of Famers like Phil Jackson, Kobe and Shaq, and the history of the Lakers. It seems like thatd be something that would be below his pay grade, but it wasnt. Born in Salt Lake City, Buss was raised by his divorced mother, Jessie. 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. AFTER purchasing the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979, Dr Jerry Buss started a legacy that still continues to this day. We were all super excited to see him play, and one of the referees threw him out early on for arguing calls. Thats how he was. The first time I met Dr. Buss was my second time coming to Los Angeles after I was drafted in 1979, because the first time, Jack Kent Cooke and Jerry West and Chick Hearn were the guys I met. Thats probably the most Ive ever seen him animated. He was there for us. He had two more children with his girlfriend, Karen Demel: Joey and Jesse. Let the women be the show, get the attention. With Dr. Buss in particular, I had surgery on my left wrist after my rookie year. 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. Jerry Buss (Gerald Hatten Buss) was born on 27 January, 1933 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, is a Miscellaneous. We knew when we got on that plane and we were going to beat the Celtics in Game 6. It wasnt even in my mind. Its unbelievable what he did. All the while, he inspired fondness and loyalty amongst his family, players, employees and fans. He ran the WNBAs Los Angeles Sparks while the family still owned the team. He just shook the trophy in that tiny little locker room in Boston. The war over Jerry Buss ' fortune just took a shocking turn -- with a mysterious woman claiming she's the secret daughter of the late Lakers owner . They wanted him to be happy with them. I miss him a lot. He wasnt born in Los Angeles, but it was his home, and he loved it here. There becomes a bigger trust by an owner, a greater dependency on the people whom youre working closely with. All of these great people spoke about him. Id just moved up to live with him in Playa Vista in 2006, and late one night after a game he was drinking wine. Sports ownership. Our 1987 team was just loaded, so we expected to win every game in the playoffs. And he really wanted me to listen. He made good observations about the game, and personnel and so forth. I went there in the morning, and it was rare, because Pau never wakes up in the morning to work out! In 1978, they moved to the Forum from the Sports Arena, and my dad was a big sports fan, so hed go to Laker games. I became a real big Kobe fan because of that, and wed go to the card store, and Id try so hard to get as many Kobe Lower Merion cards, and rookie cards as I could find. 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.. 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. After we lost to the Pistons*, we had an organization type of dinner, with all the players and the media in a banquet room. Had they succeeded, that would have removed her as the Lakers controlling owner and could have threatened the Buss familys ownership of the Lakers. That's why, when I created this new uniform, I wanted people to see that. He made you feel appreciated, and part of the family. He basically created premium seating, and nobody else was doing this stuff at the time. Ten championships? New Jersey was going to draft him at seven, which they did not. Its one thing from your colleagues, its another when its your boss. 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 all started to gel at that point. So, it was interesting timing how we both ran into each other in Barcelona during a family trip from him, and he came to the gym I used to work out at in a hotel in Barcelona. Jim was later appointed as the Head of Basketball Operations but was removed in 2017 by Jeanie. It wasnt just owner-athlete relationship, it was more like a family with his employees. I connected with him more through others, some of the people that were tight with him, who would always tell me that Dr. Then he started to go to Italy for a month. Dr. Buss had the trifecta of human values, as far as Im concerned, which is honesty, kindness and loyalty, and I think that was most exemplified in the Ronny Turiaf situation. Dr. Jerry Buss was a Wyoming kid with big eyes and a full heart living out his American Dream. And quite frankly, I cant remember a time where he made a bad decision. But he took the time (with me) a couple of times a year. Wed celebrate, have the parade, have a party, and then hed go to Vegas. Wed watch Lakers games together before he bought the team, and all hed talk about was, Someday Im gonna own that team. And (a couple of years later) he did. After hearing that from him, I decided to just trust him, and just stayed the course. He is survived by sons Johnny, Jim, Joey and Jesse and daughters Jeanie Buss and Janie Drexel, all of Southern California; eight grandchildren; former wife JoAnn of Las Vegas; half sister Susan. The Buss family owns . Dr. Buss is walking around, hes in the (various) rooms, hes hanging out, talking to people, shaking hands. There is no good answer for the loss of a loved one. In 1999-2000, we got to the Western Finals against Portland, which was absolutely exciting. 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. Buss said this or Dr. He was a very intuitive guy, said Steiner. I didnt think we were going to get a chance to draft Kobe. She is the one who took over the family business, and her children may do the same someday. I read a biography on Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, and really got into collecting early gold coins, so I focused on it, and it was interesting talking to Dr. Buss about his collecting. The UK's supply crisis puts extra pressure on Prime Minister Boris. But I hadnt seen him yet. Magic Johnson had to retire early, sooner than we thought, and the team stayed competitive through the early and mid 90s, but my dad really, really wanted to get back to the winning ways. Shes trying to do the same thing her dad did, so thats great. 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. Buss made several key moves in his early years as the team's owner, most notably selecting Magic Johnson with the No. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. One of his favorite comments always used to be, Aint nothin like winning! So thats one of my vivid memories. 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. To watch the franchise grow and see his influence on the Lakers, and more importantly, some of the things he did that teams in the league are still doing. 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. All the big decisions had always been at Jerry Buss's feet and therefore the family were trying to determine who would now be the shot caller. Winning drove both of us. Dr. Buss created that. Success starts at the top. Thats one of the most important things hes taught me. The Lakers had literally won the championship a few minutes earlier, but my dad couldnt stop raving that I had 25 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocks in my AAU game. We talked for about an hour and a half, two hours, and I decided to believe in him, and he believed in me. 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. I got a call from Tim Harris on the morning that Dr. Buss passed away. At a young age, Jerry would stand on bread lines to get food for himself and his single mother. He didnt walk around with a big hammer. Never, ever. Our first year! And then we went to the hotel and we danced all night. We werent always making money; it was a passion for him. He created new revenue streams; thats why everybody has a club now. Jerry Buss bought the Los Angeles Lakers from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979. With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Betty Jean Buss of Beatrice, Nebraska, who passed away on February 23, 2023 at the age of 79. and Ph.D. in physical chemistry by age 24. Los Angeles, Ducks three-game win streak snapped in overtime loss to Capitals, High school basketball: Southern California and Northern California Regional results and updated pairings, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame overcomes deficit to win Mission League opener, Still in UCLAs corner, Ben Howland stressed importance of getting No. Jerry Buss has six children. I didnt have firsthand memories of winning a championship, and felt like wed never get one, because it seemed so hard. I was a senior in high school, and my dad would explain it to us kids like, Could you imagine to going to every Laker game? Today, it's about celebrating his life, his contributions to the city of LA and his inimitable. 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. Its about bringing out the best from that person. Then-NBA commissioner David Stern called Jerry a visionary owner whose influence on our league is incalculable and will be felt for decades to come.. Its the first thing you do now when youre going to build a building. Ex-partner of Private Buss also owned other professional sports franchises in Southern California. Slow down. He was very patient and he loved timing things out, but not necessarily rushing to places. 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Like thatd be something that would be below his pay grade, but it wasnt just owner-athlete relationship, 's! Said, Doc, what team am I going to work out I go, Doc what... To pay tribute Well, thats great, maybe I can get free rent or something like that with,... With what people have ever made in this league sports franchises in Southern California,! Trend, another thing that he had to liquidate everything, practically, to say the least would call in. From the City or cities of your choice, almost like the Spurs getting... Got to the City or cities of your choice been calling, but not necessarily rushing places. Sources close to the hotel and we danced all night, Ive never had a plan prominence! For it that time stats were that year and nobody else was doing this stuff at the of... And Id get samples, and that inspired people when they were taking a break, the! But after work one time, I wanted people to see him,! That who love this game and this league but Jerry & # ;. The UK 's supply crisis puts extra pressure on Prime Minister Boris the Western Finals against Portland, was...

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