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. He was an incredibly visionary. with JoAnn Buss Jim Buss born 1959, age 63 (approx.) There was a lot of worry on the part of Jerry West. Im sitting there wondering what the hell is going on. I thought hed go in the top three or four. Hed recommend books for me to read. If it wasnt for Dr. Buss, thered be no Jerry Jones. Dr. Buss told me how (Stone) came up with the title. It was California Pizza Kitchen wed always order out and wed meet for a couple of hours. But I have to do it.. He was a master at dealing with people, a genius businessman, and really just as good with people as he was with business. Right after I was drafted by the Lakers in 1982, Jerry West wanted me to come out and have a physical, and meet everyone including Dr. Buss. One story showed how appreciative he was for the work that he did, and for playing hard for the city of Los Angeles. He saved Ronnys life, and he didnt have to. I gave him Jerrys number. He sold the team in 2006. If you knew me you would understand Im not about money at all. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. 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 talked about beating the Celtics. Buss was an inaugural member of the USC College Board of Councilors. We really hit it off. I was happy. Hulu's "Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers" is taking a different approach. I was fascinated about how cards accrued value, and Id always ask questions to my dad about it. 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. He wanted to win every single year, but he also knew that was impossible. 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.. The Finals were tough, though, against Boston. That was it. After failing a field sobriety test, Buss was taken into custody, given a blood test and booked on suspicion of driving while intoxicated with a blood-alcohol level over 0.08. He was thinking of Kobe. The UK's supply crisis puts extra pressure on Prime Minister Boris. We wanted to change that, and one way was to have entertainment all the way through the game, he said. I know youre going to shoot straight. He would listen to Jerry (West), Phil but then hed get the confirmation from me. He was 80 years old. He truly cared about how we were doing, how our families were doing. The Lakers quickly became a dynasty, as the dynamic duo of Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led Los Angeles to five championships in the 1980s. He owns The Ice House, a comedy club in Pasadena, California, and has also shown interest in politics. Buss became an owner in World Team Tennis, the Los Angeles Strings. Recently he has become a father figure to Demel's. He would talk about how he could go anywhere in the city and people loved the Lakers. Because he found out very quick that I was very serious about winning, and he respected that. Johnny Buss speaks at a memorial service for his father, Jerry Buss, at the Nokia Theatre on Feb. 21, 2013. I would watch him ask them how their grandchildren were, if they graduated knowing people by name. I remember growing up in the 1990s, and often losing to the best teams in the West, like the Supersonics, and then the Jazz. 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.. I was a young player in Portland, and I knew about Jack Kent Cooke and what his reputation was, but we all heard about this man named Dr. Buss buying the Lakers, Kings and the Forum, and some real estate properties for what was an exorbitant amount of money at the time. He really thought about things like that, that it was equal opportunity, and if men could be the stars, then women could be the stars too. I worked with Jeanie and Linda trying to get a place, get as much content as we can, and to discuss how we could make it tasteful what we should give to this man and to the community. When Jerry West left, the transition was very natural now, I will say that when Jerry retired, it was a little bit weird. Where is Jerry Buss Daughter Jeanie Buss Now. Her father, Jerry Buss, had died in February 2013 at age 80, . Some might wonder if his death will bring radical changes to the ownership of the team, but according to his family, thats not very likely. Thats when we found out about his enlarged aortic root. He wanted everybody to be together, and he was right in the middle of us. I havent seen that a lot in my 11 years being around the league, owners being that human. In a limousine outside the office that day in . And I did very well investing in the coins. Theyll like that! Bit by bit, hed put his personal love in every selection and make sure that at least during the Holidays, all the people that meant something to him got something meaningful. He didnt know what the future held, I didnt know what the future held. I was working with Chick Hearn in the broadcast booth, but I remember meeting him at the Forum and had a very, very light discussion about the real estate business, and then I realized I was renting one of his apartments in Santa Monica, he and Frank Mariani. I know you may not believe that, but trust me, we do. Jordan Greer is an NBA content producer for The Sporting News. 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. 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? It was a really intimate moment. [2] Fans could see celebrities sitting along the sidelines, live bands playing music and the famous "Laker Girls" doing their dance routines. 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. He inspired the Lakers' Showtime era with his vision that basketball games must be entertaining. It was a ritual. I thought he was really sincere about the things that he always said, so thats what I appreciated the most about him. 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. You focus on star players like Kobe and Shaq when youre a kid. Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) February 18, 2013 (Jerry and JoAnn divorced in 1972.) He had this amazing feel for price sensitivity and value. And families who must make decisions about large amounts of money are bound to encounter conflict now and then. 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. He talked to the janitors, the people that cleaned Staples Center. Charlie is 5 years old and Chayton is 6, so that idea was as much wishful thinking as a sincere request. My family is from the islands, so the West Indies part of his background resonated with me also. 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. I think that was the only ring that he wore, when we beat Boston the first time. Magic was perfect for that. I get this call, and (am told) Dr. Buss wants to see you. Johnny was previously married to Christy Curtis Buss and has at least two sons. I remember wed just won the championship against the Pacers, and he took us down on the floor. 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 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. Not only did Dr. Buss want a dance team to entertain on the court during halftime and quarter breaks, but he also wanted to show that there were talented young ladies who are great brand ambassadors. 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. It didnt just happen. Treat everyone with respect and dignity while setting forth a vision of exactly what you want to accomplish. It was cool knowing that he appreciated those little things, that effort. Theyd fax over every scenario they had for Shaq trades. The Buss siblings have occasionally butted heads in the past, such as with the hiring of coach Mike DAntoni over Phil Jackson, the fiance of one of the Buss children. And he always wanted to know what my favorite book was, and I told him it was The Agony and the Ecstasy. He said, Thats interesting, because I knew Irving Stone, the author. He understood that the Lakers became the hottest ticket in town, and then the hottest ticket in the NBA. He knew we had a great team, and he dealt with the good and the bad. 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. She was predeceased by : her husband Gerald Buss; her sons, Phil Buss and Chris Buss; her parents, Ehme Busboom and Jennie Busboom (Ideus); her siblings, Rosie Miller and Gerald Busboom; her siblings-in-law, Barbara Wrightsman (Don) and Robert Schoen; and her parents-in-law, Herman and Alvina Buss. The teacher looked at me and said, Dont get your hopes up too much. 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 . And I remember I was working as a scout when my dad called and let me know about us acquiring Pau Gasol. He liked to challenge us. He was a brilliant, incredible owner, but he was even a better person with a great heart. He came up with the concept of the floor seats, and making them the most special seat in any sporting event anywhere. I dont remember a whole lot about the podium when Dr. Buss accepted the championship, but I do remember that Kareem stuck a towel in Pat Rileys mouth so he wouldnt say wed win it again next year. So, he liked to challenge people. I think thats why people just adore him so. It was this big weight had been taken off of his back. Darrell C. Harriman Law Theres always former Lakers around. It was really vivid and authentic. The $24 million he purchased for the Lakers and Kings would be $95.57 million in today's money. Lee was born in 1953 and is the first child of Dr. Jerry Buss and JoAnn Mueller. HBO's "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" introduced younger viewers to Dr. Jerry Buss, whom Kobe Bryant once called "the greatest owner in sports, ever." I remember when he explained it to me we all knew Wrigley Field, where the Cubs played. And then they walked me back over and said, Heres Dr. Buss. Coming from Tobacco Road, North Carolina, I was like, Damn, this is a cool dude! I couldnt believe he was just down to earth. And thats how I recollect my relationship with him. Jeanie Buss, Magic Johnson, Jerry Buss, and Phil Jackson, Lakers celebrate their 1985 Championship over the Celtics. I was a nervous wreck the entire game, and we won the game, and I delivered the best that I could at the time. Dr. Buss said how proud he was of us to be there in the Finals, and it was just a nice moment. We had a genuine relationship and respect for one another, because I was there with him at the time he bought his dream, and it was mine too. I went there in the morning, and it was rare, because Pau never wakes up in the morning to work out! And teams like the Spurs were getting guys late in the first round that were contributors. 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. 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. The purchase price, $67.5 million, made it the largest transaction in sports history at that time. We kept in touch that way. The Lakers, Kings and WNBA's Sparks later played their home games at the Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena) starting in 1999. When we made the decision to move to Staples Center, we had to price the building. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. When I took over, he and I chatted about getting the girls out in the community because the players werent always able to. We werent getting better to the point that I needed our team to be. 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. Buss also owned other professional sports franchises in Southern California. Our 1987 team was just loaded, so we expected to win every game in the playoffs. Well before his passing on Feb. 2013 at the age of 80, the Lakers' former longtime owner Jerry Buss had set up the family trust for his children, Jeanie, Jim, Johnny, Joey, Jesse and Janie.. He not only was an avid reader, he knew some of the great authors, as well. But Buss was wise to plan early for the team and make his wishes specific and legally binding. 3 reviews. My contract is up, wed just beaten the Celtics in Boston, everybody was happy. Episode 1 of the docuseries will cover Buss' deal to buy the Lakers from Jack Kent Cooke. Youre going too fast. She is the one who took over the family business, and her children may do the same someday. So Jerry Buss does not still own the Lakers, but his children do. And then when I came down to Miami, it was a whole new world for me down here. He talked about having two sons with this franchise, being Magic and myself. Betty and I were friends from 6th grade and we always had a lot of laughs together. From then on, I was at his house every weekend during the season, it seemed like. So, Dr. Buss was one of the coolest owners Ive been around. And especially on airplanes, hed always ask me what I was reading, because he was an avid reader. After an apparent conflict with his siblings, Johnny resigned from the Buss Family Trusts and the Board of directors of the Lakers. I think the everyday element had taken its toll, so he probably was spending more time with his family and a little bit less with the team. But then right away, the Lakers started winning championships, and Showtime was coined, and little did I know that Id get a chance to join them years later. You have cap space and you go for big stars, but that was something my dad was going to outline the blueprint for. I think theres a lot of money in it. It was really a great celebration of life for him, and I was so proud of that. So that was one of the things I noticed about him. Some owners look at it like a business, only. Every time wed meet, itd be at an Italian restaurant. Dr. Jerry Buss's professional success and his reputation as a playboy have been well documented over the years, yet little is known about the Buss family. We had some pretty decent teams at the time, I just didnt think we were ready to take that next level. And thats what Dr. Buss did. Wed come up with Steve Blake and Matt Barnes, and my dad was fully supportive of it, and cleared it with Mitch and Jim, and we ended up signing them. They all mean a lot, but some mean a little bit more than others. 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. He was in great spirits, it was great talking, he still had his sense of humor. I couldnt believe it. And Jerry West pulled off the biggest free agent signing there ever was when he brought Shaquille ONeal in 1996. Buss, a few years ago you mentioned the lights is this what you had in mind? He said, This is exactly what I had in mind. Dr. Buss was a big Broadway guy. Im this young guy out of UCLA, and when you first meet him coming into the locker room, and he comes to shake your hand, theres no greater form of nervousness in this town at that point in time. And there were always all these hours spent talking basketball, and him trying to prep me for a bigger role. In other words, how offensive could it be? 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. He wanted to make sure that the Lakers, what hed created with the winning, and what they meant to the community, would continue. He ran an indoor soccer team, the Lazers. Naming rights. Having played, and then him talking about little things inside of basketball, subtle things that you knew he wasnt just an owner up entertaining people during the games. If we werent playing well, he would just show up at practice, unannounced, wouldnt say anything. 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. And that resonated all the way back to Los Angeles. After separation from Mueller, Buss dated Karen Demel and had two children: Joey Buss (born in 1985) and Jesse Buss (born in 1988). I dont drive fancy cars. Back then, (player movement) on that scale was not something that happened that often I think Dr. Buss mindset played into it a lot. My dad only missed the playoffs twice in his entire 34-year tenure as an owner. He was a great guy and someone who I really cared about a lot. Geni requires JavaScript! So, Im like, Oh boy, here it is, because I knew all trades had to go through him. 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