So it was really a family. They didnt sell the naming rights, they (used their name). So in 1987, we win the championship, and I win Defensive Player of the Year. In 2013, after Jerry Buss passed away, all six Buss siblings were given an equal shareholding in the LA Lakers franchise. Id never encountered somebody with that type of money and power to be so easy to talk to. Just showed up and watched. That was really kind of troubled times for us as a franchise, and I didnt think they were doing whatever it took to win, and passed on some really good deals to get top players in. So he asked me and Pat if wed be co-coaches, and I said Id consider it for a month. And especially on airplanes, hed always ask me what I was reading, because he was an avid reader. Every championship, wed go celebrate away from everybody. We had growth within our own team, like Andrew Bynum, to go with Kobe and Lamar. 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. He asked a lot of questions about defense, how we were defending this or that. 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. He was thinking of Kobe. Or to USC football games. Later on, Dancing Barry. Click here to Start FameChaining. (My decision to stay) was 100 percent Dr. Buss. It is believed to be correct at the time of inputting and is presented here in good faith. Gerald Hatten "Jerry" Buss was born on Jan. 27, 1933, in Salt Lake City. Hed get a chuckle out of it, and a lot of satisfaction. It was just a conversation (Dr. Buss) and I had. When he bought the team, there were literally two prices: the downstairs and the upstairs. My dream was to be a businessman after I was done. Hes a once-in-a-lifetime kind of person. 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. 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. He was a very intuitive guy, said Steiner. In other words, how offensive could it be? I thought it was a 1-on-1 dinner! The 11 years that I was coaching as an assistant and head coach, that team went to the NBA Finals eight or nine times and we won five championships, probably should have won two more. After all the experiences Ive had in pro sports, Ive never had a better owner. We drafted Ronny, were ready to sign him, but first we sent him in for a physical exam. In 1979 Jerry purchased Pickfair Mansion in Beverly Hills from the estate of Mary Pickford. It became a happening. Jerry Buss Family, Net-Worth, Wiki & Bio.Topic covered in the video:who is jerry buss,How jerry buss. I went there in the morning, and it was rare, because Pau never wakes up in the morning to work out! Kind of re-thinking the economics of ticket sales. Thats how generous, and how giving and how much I dont want to say a fan he was a true, true owner of the game. It was a father/son environment. He was the first to see this league as the entertainment value that it is. He focused on the team's marketing, commissioned the Laker Girls, and had movie stars appear in the crowd during games. Their parents divorced in 1972, leaving Buss feeling emotionally abandoned. When we won Game 4 in the Garden, that was the big difference. From my standpoint, when I got in, Magic had been in the league for a few years and they were really close. In the mid to late 1970s, Dr. Buss owned the Los Angeles Strings of World Team Tennis. 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. I remember being at the Forum in Inglewood in 1985 in my rookie year, meeting Dr. Buss and him saying Lets have lunch one day. Time goes by until you decide, Im going to take him up on that. So we arranged a lunch, midweek after a practice, and went up to his office, and we had a real, genuine, 1-on-1 conversation talking about life itself outside of basketball. Buss also received Cooke's ranch in California, which was valued at $10 million. Johnny never fully dove into his familys sports holdings, but he stuck around while his father lived. Buying the Forum, Lakers, Kings and other properties was the largest sports transaction at that time. He would also search through his hometown looking for old telephone books and other paper products to stuff into his fireplace in order to provide heat for his home. So in 1985, Im playing for Dr. Jerry Buss, and hes a legend. Money has never been a part of my being. Then in his third season owning the team, they ended up calling them the Laker Girls, and established a dance team. Life is funny that way. 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. Its not only a game, its entertainment. And then Id go home. He really wanted to own the team.. His two things he was mainly focused on was winning championships, getting the Lakers back to that level, and being a family man, being a father to his children. 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 told that he was having this picnic for employees, and how cool that was. He was just a very good man. He bought me dinner. After all of this, not only have I resigned from [the Lakers], Ive resigned from being a member of the Buss family, Johnny says. The whole way, hed keep track on his watch, and we had to get there on the dot at 12:00. And then when I came down to Miami, it was a whole new world for me down here. Through his 80th birthday on January 27, 2013, he had not attended a Lakers game during the 201213 season due to health concerns. We would see each other during the summer, and I remember playing against the Lakers in those preseason games in Las Vegas, and he was always kind and always made sure he came to say hi. In 1999-2000, we got to the Western Finals against Portland, which was absolutely exciting. He said, Hey Mark, I know you had the surgery yesterday and am just thinking about you, hoping for a quick recovery, and I hope youre OK. It was really cool of him. With 10 NBA championships under his belt, Jerry was the single most decorated owner in sports history. The most innovative with Showtime and all the business connections he was way ahead of his time, more than any owner in history. He talked to the janitors, the people that cleaned Staples Center. Hes probably one of the best owners in the history of the NBA. Especially after I retired, we spent time together. 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. After a family feud, Jim resigned from the Buss Family Trusts and the Board of directors but is still seemingly a part-owner of the franchise. He was the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning 10 league championships that were highlighted by the team's Showtime era during the 1980s. It started with Dr. Buss, and we were all upset about 1984. Never embarrassed anybody. Wed celebrate, have the parade, have a party, and then hed go to Vegas. And they said, Now the Dallas Mavericks come up. They said, Word is that the Lakers may trade James Worthy to Dallas for Roy Tarpley, a couple other players and a draft pick. My dad was working with Jerry West, trying to build this team that was a playoff team, but not a contender. If it wasnt for Dr. Buss, thered be no Jerry Jones. Before he embraced the Playboy philosophy in the mid-1960s, he. Dr. Buss was incredibly intuitive and in touch with the fans from a business standpoint. Very few. He knew the patterns of how often the boats and trains would come, and it was then a challenge to the whole family to make sure it happened and to execute on it properly. Then he started to go to Italy for a month. We had something to talk about immediately, and he was flattered to know that I was aware. [2] He was also able to snag the Kings hockey team, the Inglewood Forum, and the 13,000-acre Raljon Ranch in the Sierra Nevada mountains from businessman Jack Kent Cooke. 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. won 3-0 against Denver, 4-1 against Golden State and 4-0 against Seattle. with Karen Demel Jesse Buss born 1988, age 34 (approx.) The Buss siblings had a meeting the week after Dr Jerry Buss death, to discuss how the Lakers would work going forward. 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. And Id just played in a rec league game maybe a week prior. That book opened up a whole world up to me about the founding fathers. 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. 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. It had just come out, and somehow he got his hands on it, and wanted to know my thoughts on it, especially because he knew I was Italian and I was raised Roman Catholic. Many Los Angeles Lakers fans mourned the passing of the teams primary owner, Jerry Buss, on Monday. Jerry wanted to make going to a Lakers game an experience that couldnt be replicated just by watching on TV. 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. Wed go out to different musicals and shows and dinners with my dad. Episode 1 of the docuseries will cover Buss' deal to buy the Lakers from Jack Kent Cooke. Theres not going to be a 7th game. 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 . He wanted everybody to be together, and he was right in the middle of us. Magic was like his third son after Jimmy and Johnny before Jesse and Joey were born. For him to give me that 1-on-1, personal treatment considering where I stood on the team that was treatment I thought hed give Kobe or Shaq. It was an honor to be able to be asked to say some words. I thought he was kidding. I do remember after we won that year, on the night of Game 7, and looking in Dr. Busss eyes as he was being presented the trophy. And in hindsight, we can see the result. And then 25 years later, to be able to celebrate at a different stage in my life with him again (2010). 1 seed in West, Another Trevor Bauer defamation suit is thrown out. And the level of intensity at practice rose instantly with his appearance in the gym. 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. I dont think other teams really wanted to deal with us to begin with, and then (that happened). Buss graduated from the University of Wyoming with a bachelor's degree. Finding great success in the real estate business, he pursued real estate investing full time. He ran the WNBAs Los Angeles Sparks while the family still owned the team. Some owners look at it like a business, only. I knew he wanted to win, and I think what I was doing while I was there with the team that he had put together, he was satisfied with. His daughter, Jeanie, took over the Lakers in March 2017. As part of the deal to move the Lakers into Staples Center, Buss sold the Great Western Forum (which was later reverted to its original name). He was always right. The NBA lost a great man. Coming from Yugoslavia, I had some issue with military service, and there was an issue there that Dr. Buss made sure to let me know he was behind me and my family no matter what. 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. And Kobe was going to be one of them, we thought. Because when the Lakers were playing, the men got the stage and the platform. Today, you cant. When he bought the Forum, it was called the Forum. 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. 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. My dad started incorporating Joey and I more after we won the back-to-back titles, and we had the mid-level exception in the summer, and he asked who we liked. People that worked in the Forum, his gardeners, people who worked in the parking lot just everyday people. But how can I contribute? There is no photo or video of Betty Jean Buss.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. He really looked at it as entertainment. Jeanie (Buss) was just 19 years old, or 18 years old. The thing he taught me the best is that he maximized his days. The Sparks also experienced their share of success, winning two WNBA championships with such players as Lisa Leslie, Tamecka Dixon and DeLisha Milton-Jones. Buss also owned other professional sports franchises in Southern California. Youre going too fast. He was waiting on some people to come, so we just sat there, and it was right after retirement, and he talked about how appreciative he was of me being a Laker and the three championships. We actually ended up making an offer, and then taking the offer off the table, because it still was not acceptable. You saw his mannerisms go with every little gyration that was going on. On Feb. 13 of 1987, I found out from the Spurs trainer that I had been traded to the Lakers. 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. Id heard all about the championships in the 1980s, but we werent there yet. He was that fast. And so, I had to trust him. 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. In the summer of 2007, Kobe Bryant requested a trade from the Lakers. In total, Jerry forked over $135million for the whole deal. But I have to do it.. Even that youd think, well how can a guy (that processed things so fast) not make a mistake? 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. And what Jerry Buss always wanted to accomplish was to have one of those players on his team, the Showtime part of it. Born in Salt Lake City, Buss was raised by his divorced mother, Jessie. Connect to the World Family Tree to find out, American Businessman And Real Estate Investor, Jan 27 1933 - Salt Lake City, United States, Jan 27 1933 - Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States, Feb 18 2013 - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States, Rocky Mount Telegram - Feb 18 2013 - North Carolina, United States, Our Weekly - Feb 22 2013 - Los Angeles, California, United States, Lydus Henry Buss, Jessie Mae Buss (born Hatten), Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States, Cedars- Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States, Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Champions, Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), Death of Dr. Jerry Buss at Cedars- Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Jerry Buss attended University of Wyoming, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States. 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. Buss, who was 80 when he died of. It was just really cool. In a limousine outside the office that day in . Id run into him in Los Angeles at various places and said hello. But they dont know what happened behind the scenes, and thats what we wanted to show, is what goes on after the game and the effect that winning has on people, on a family.. New Jersey in 2002 was great; we stayed in New York. After hearing that from him, I decided to just trust him, and just stayed the course. Jeanie Buss, Magic Johnson, Jerry Buss, and Phil Jackson, Lakers celebrate their 1985 Championship over the Celtics. You understood the genius of this man, because youre dealing with a guy whos just on a different plane. I talked to him, and I said, Dr. He had been in and out of the hospital for more than a year before his death. 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. He truly cared about how we were doing, how our families were doing. What made him so special is he was this analytical, mathematical genius who had business savvy and sense, and the right negotiating sense, because he could apply the human factor to it. And when I heard from him, not just with the telegram but then sitting down with him in Barcelona and looking at him eye to eye. It was really his love, his heart. Jesse would just rattle off the stats. 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. That was a big thing for both of us. I hope he was looking down happy, and we hoped that the Buss family was happy with everything. Buss purchased the team, reported to be worth around $1 billion, in 1979. Thats probably the most Ive ever seen him animated. And of course I went to greet at him and sat at his table until his guests got there. Buss purchased the team, reported to be worth around $1 billion, in 1979. Dr. Buss was very thoughtful. He was once an heir to his father Jerry Busss kingdom, but insists the sports world never quite interested him. When I wanted to get into the theatre business, he was the one who connected me with everybody. He, with his real estate background, realized that people would pay just like for a house on the beach. He was big on that. See FameChain's massive Trump family tree. Back then, you could drive in right off the street. He completely got something that all of us take for granted: athletes love entertainers, and entertainers love athletes. Dr. Buss never sat and waited a month or two. Laker Girls. Jim worked as the President of Los Angeles Lazers from 1985 (to 1989), succeeding his elder brother in the role. The team folded in 1989 and the league folded three years later. I dont know if its Jerry West, or if its Magic, I dont know whats going on. I just couldnt believe it. [5] He had his jeans on with his sports coat, big smile on his face, open collared shirt. Its opening night for Staples Center: Nov. 3, 1999. 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. Consider it for a few years and they said, Now the Dallas come! 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