But when we did speak and get a chance to talk to each other, I thought it was real genuine. Jerry Buss has six children, one of whom is Jeanie Buss. Thats something I still talk about and brag about to my sons. Kind of re-thinking the economics of ticket sales. Jerry (West) was so happy. 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. When Jack Kent Cooke sold the Lakers, the Kings, the Forum and a 13,000-acre ranch in Kern County, Jerry Buss met him at an office in Palos Verdes. That was a long process, too, and stressful. From then on, I was at his house every weekend during the season, it seemed like. Fascinating man. Because when the Lakers were playing, the men got the stage and the platform. Gerald Hatten "Jerry" Buss (January 27, 1933 February 18, 2013) was an American businessman, real estate investor, and chemist. She was given up for adoption because, as her adoption papers stated, her parents didn't have the time,. Magic being Mr. Inquisitive, he wanted to know about the business aspect of basketball and life in general. We made it a mission to play them again in 1985, to prove to ourselves and the world that we could beat them. Once you dealt with the media, you get on with your life. In total, Jerry forked over $135million for the whole deal. My dad changed the landscape of the NBA in terms of how he thought about the business. It was probably the only time I felt really stressed with the Lakers. 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. The first hour was always just talking and telling stories and visiting. He said, I want you to take me to dinner at this real fancy restaurant with some friends. I said, I cant afford that! There was no question about that. He also served as the President of the Los Angeles Lazers, a professional indoor soccer team, and the Los Angeles Sparks, a professional womens basketball team. It was a tough year, a tough day. Jerry Buss, the playboy owner of the Los Angeles Lakers who died last month, has left his sprawling Hawaii digs and hot wheels to his much younger girlfriend. In a limousine outside the office that day in 1979 sat Busss oldest son, Johnny. I would watch him ask them how their grandchildren were, if they graduated knowing people by name. 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. 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. "When you think New York, you think Yankees. Buss earned a scholarship to the University of Wyoming, graduating with a B.S. So in 1985, Im playing for Dr. Jerry Buss, and hes a legend. Jim worked as the President of Los Angeles Lazers from 1985 (to 1989), succeeding his elder brother in the role. Every day, wed just hang out together between practice sessions. But he took the time (with me) a couple of times a year. I wouldnt ever want to try that. I walked in and (Dr. Buss) called me over to his table and I sat next to him. I played two years for Mr. Cooke, so I could really see the difference (right away). 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. And he had an ability to let Bill Sharman, Jerry West, Pete Newell make important decisions that he didnt have the background to make. I get this call, and (am told) Dr. Buss wants to see you. Donald asks the courts to let him tweet. I thought it was a 1-on-1 dinner! 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.. He loved to play cards, and wed talk about the season, and then what we could do to get the team better. It was an important economic trend, another thing that he identified, and brought the NBA into more prominence. We talked about his vision, and all types of things. Johnny says its all a misunderstanding. So all we could do was try to stay together and do what he asked us to do and that was to make as much money as possible. Once that game got going, he was into it. Thats pretty good. Image. I cant imagine coming into the league at 18 in a grown mans world. And how he conducted business, it was always, hey, Im holding all the cards. And Kobe was going to be one of them, we thought. We had the press conference, and I said Im going to be here with Pat for a month, and then Pats going to be the head coach. 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 . I remember being in the Finals against Philadelphia, and we were at the hotel bar of the team hotel. We were just talking friend to friend. However, that changes in the season finale as Buss wishes to bring more family members into the new family 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. So he asked me and Pat if wed be co-coaches, and I said Id consider it for a month. Jeanie (Buss) was just 19 years old, or 18 years old. and his wife, JoAnn, had four children: Johnny, Jimmy, Jeanie. Then he was doing Italy for the whole summer. I need to say no more. I thought, this is the way it should be. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews. We wouldnt have to spend the midlevel exception; we could try to find midlevel value guys for a fraction of the price. Despite some setbacks in the years since she took over, with only one NBA Championship win in 2020, Jeanie is still the undisputed boss of the franchise. Im sure he had a lot of things, having just won a championship, a lot of different engagements, but he was reaching out to me. Magic was perfect for that. He had it all memorized in his head. And I was happy to be a part of it, because Jack Kent Cooke, as great a businessman as he was, he was tough. And families who must make decisions about large amounts of money are bound to encounter conflict now and then. New Jersey in 2002 was great; we stayed in New York. Jeanie currently serves as the Lakers' owner and president. Then he wanted to work out for us one more time, so Michael Cooper, whod been retired for a year or two, we asked him to come out and participate. That was his vision. 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. It was nice working for him. Not just in the Lakers and what theyd become but he had a plan. He was a mentor to me in a lot of ways. But before we start streaming, let's learn a few things about the man who brought "Showtime" to Los Angeles. Dr. Buss said how proud he was of us to be there in the Finals, and it was just a nice moment. The NBA wasnt like what it is today at that time. 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 thought their relationship was great. He liked to challenge us. He had a huge, beautiful office with all kinds of knick knacks and stuff like that. The love of his life was the Lakers and his kids. What impressed me most about him was he would speak to the parking attendant, the staff, anybody he just liked people, and you felt that about him. Meghan Markle. He was also a country singer who performed at dive bars, among his favorite jobs. He talked to the janitors, the people that cleaned Staples Center. The Lakers are on fire. That was one of his favorite things he started doing later on, because before, he was doing Hawaii for a month. That confluence doesnt happen very often, and Dr. Buss was very much able to get with the moment and enjoy the moment. He focused on the team's marketing, commissioned the Laker Girls, and had movie stars appear in the crowd during games. Dont worry about it, kid. At the time, we were marveling at how much a Michael Jordan rookie card was in the early 1990s. Throughout my tenure away from the team, Id send him a note every time they won a championship. Dr. Buss actually started in his first season, 1979-80, with a combination of USC and UCLA pom girls, and the USC band. Buss also owned other professional sports franchises in Southern California. I remember the first time we did it, during my second season, he told me, Hey man I really like your game, I like the way you play, I want you to go back and play confident and I want you to know that Im the boss, and I like you. After about 40 minutes, I said, Weve seen enough. But it was really through (his agent Arn Tellum) and the Bryant family, that (teams passed on him). The entrepreneur, the Doctor. Shaq, myself, the whole team, we didnt know. Mr. Then he won another five championships. 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. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. And teams like the Spurs were getting guys late in the first round that were contributors. What do you think. And little did we know wed be teammates months later extremely serendipitous. Gerald Hatten "Jerry" Buss (January 27, 1933 - February 18, 2013) was an American businessman, real estate investor and chemist. The trade was difficult for me, obviously at that moment. We knew when we got on that plane and we were going to beat the Celtics in Game 6. Ex-husband of JoAnn Mueller Unless you were John Wooden, you couldnt win every year, so he had some realistic expectations about some things that could happen even to dynastic teams. Have you ever seen anybody win the lottery? Copyright FameChain 2023, All rights reserved. He also taught me how to be a leader and to hire the best people and let them do their jobs. with JoAnn Buss Joey Buss born 1985, age 37 (approx.) And I would come back in town, and we would see each other. So he created the Senate seats program sort of the precursor to the club suites program. There is no good answer for the loss of a loved one. Buss, who was 80 when he died of. He taught me everything. Think about somebody calling you to say goodbye, and we both cried for I dont know how many hours. Dr. Buss was one of those guys. A funeral service was held on Tuesday, February 28th 2023 at 10:00 AM at the same location. I sense that youre deferring to these guys a little bit. Back in those days you could actually raise your voice to players and theyd understand. Today, it's about celebrating his life, his contributions to the city of LA and his inimitable. If I was offended by the book, or what my feelings were. You could see it. 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. 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. And I did very well investing in the coins. HRH King Charles III. There wasnt a lot of sour grapes between players and Dr. Buss. Some of it is a blur, but thats what I remember. I knew he and Magic were really close. In 2012, Buss was in a hospital for months with an undisclosed intestinal problem. A lot of good times, and so much success on the court. See the Elon Musk family tree here at FameChain. Nights after the game, hed tease me, because wed go to have dinner at Dan Tanas or somewhere like that, and Id say, I have to go home, we have practice in the morning. And hed say, Thats why I love you. He was a very intuitive guy, said Steiner. It was like family. with Karen Demel{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Karen Demel", "gender": "Female" }, View Jerry Buss's Family Tree and History, Ancestry and Genealogy, Jerry Buss's father is Lydus Buss Jerry Buss's mother is Jessie Buss, Jerry Buss's son is Johnny Buss Jerry Buss's son is Jim Buss Jerry Buss's daughter is Jeanie Buss Jerry Buss's daughter is Janie Buss Jerry Buss's son is Joey Buss Jerry Buss's son is Jesse Buss, Jerry Buss had a relationship with Karen Demel, Jerry Buss had an on-off relationship with Puppi Buss Jerry Buss's former wife is JoAnn Buss. Many Los Angeles Lakers fans mourned the passing of the teams primary owner, Jerry Buss, on Monday. All of these great people spoke about him. We were holding the trophy, and there was a writer, Steve Springer with the L.A. Times, who came into the hallway when we were walking off the floor with my dad, and (Springer) asked what did it feel like to win your first championship since 1988? 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. But do note that it is not possible to be certain of a person's genealogy without a family's cooperation (and/or DNA testing). I think Dr. Buss always had a plan in life. Dr. Buss always carried himself (with a tremendous) level of humility. Announced as a member of the 2010 induction class of the Basketball Hall of Fame on April 5, 2010, he was formally enshrined as a contributor to the sport on August 13 of that same year. To speak about what Dr. Buss meant to the Lakers and to basketball, to the NBA, period. Theres no secret why the Lakers had had so much success under him. And his grasp of math, and his ability to run numbers and fit that into the equation, whatever the equation was whether it was the cap, payroll, profit loss statements whatever it was, he ran it all in his head. That showed me what he was all about to me, he was the best owner. He talked about having two sons with this franchise, being Magic and myself. Shes trying to do the same thing her dad did, so thats great. What a unique talent he was. Buss also owned other professional sports franchises in Southern California. Dr. Buss, many nights after the games where hed come down to the locker room after everybody cleared out. Before that, I remember my dad telling me about this workout for an up-and-coming high school kid, and how Jerry West told him that he was going to be this special player. In the summer of 2007, Kobe Bryant requested a trade from the Lakers. Buss said that. It was a great relationship for a number of years. privacy policy | Dr. Buss was truly an amazing man. Over the shows first season, Buss daughter, Jeanie Buss, assists Claire Rothman and works to realize her fathers grand vision for the Lakers. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Powered by Standing Stone Designs | There was another interesting time back home in North Carolina when I was watching the draft on TV, and nobody had been talking about me being traded, and I hadnt heard any rumors or anything. All these companies want to do business with the Lakers? He didnt walk around with a big hammer. When Jerry Buss purchased the LA Lakers from former owner Jack Kent Cooke in 1979, he was divorced from his first wife, JoAnn Mueller. He sold the team in 2006. There was a clause in the contract where the doctor had to give the green light because of my back, to have a contract valid, and Dr. Buss didnt even wait for the doctors. 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. Youre going too fast. Thats when we found out about his enlarged aortic root. We were the only team to win a world championship in Boston Garden other than the Celtics. Later on in the day, Dr. Buss was having a picnic for all his employees. In the process of that, we worked Kobe out one day against two guys who were supposedly going to be drafted higher than him, and it was ridiculous. 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 . Very unique to have an owner who took a player under his wing and was really teaching him stuff outside of basketball to help him when the game was over. There becomes a bigger trust by an owner, a greater dependency on the people whom youre working closely with. He would talk about how he could go anywhere in the city and people loved the Lakers. The UK's supply crisis puts extra pressure on Prime Minister Boris. It was a whirlwind (amidst the sadness), and all of a sudden here we are at the Nokia Theatre, with check in, banners outside where people could write messages, former Lakers and NBA players a beautiful stage and so on. When they were taking a break, let the women have center stage. [2] Sources close to the Buss family who arent authorized to speak publicly disputed that. He gave the OK to pursue it. Funeral arrangement under the care ofFox Funeral Home, Fox Funeral Home 1116 N 19th St, Beatrice, NE 68310, St. John Lutheran Church 701 N 6th St, Beatrice, NE 68310. Laker Girls. He lived a true rags-to-riches story, as he learned the value of hard work at a young age. He always was that kind of an owner. He had Hugh Hefner come with all the girls, and then I invited Michael Jackson. Jerry Buss had an on-off relationship with. But I remember after 1985 when I was negotiating my contract. I think I hurt his feelings, Johnny said. 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.) The trust makes it very difficult for any of them to sell their shares, and impossible without the approval of their other siblings. This franchise and that franchise, and we got em. I havent seen that a lot in my 11 years being around the league, owners being that human. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. 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Said Steiner had so much success on the team hotel you could actually raise your voice to players and Buss. Out together between practice sessions a true rags-to-riches story, as he learned the of. Franchise and that franchise, and we were marveling at how much a Michael rookie... See the difference ( right away ) thats something I still talk the! Be co-coaches, and I did very well investing in the season, it & # ;... Wanted to know about the business whole team, Id send him a note every time they won championship!

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