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. He understood that I needed that, and I would have been lost out here in this big city. 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. 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. He basically created premium seating, and nobody else was doing this stuff at the time. We had Reebok down our sides, on the dance top, on jackets and everything. Magic was perfect for that. And quite frankly, I cant remember a time where he made a bad decision. And I was happy to be a part of it, because Jack Kent Cooke, as great a businessman as he was, he was tough. It was a great relationship for a number of years. And guess what, a few months later, it ended up happening, and our paths crossed and we had an incredible run and were able to win championships. Dr. Buss knew his team needed more wins than losses, but he also knew they needed to entertain. I thought they had a great relationship that seemed to blossom until the day that Dr. Buss passed away. I will miss her and send my deepest sympathy to the family.. He has been able to do so because he is one of the shrewdest businessmen you will ever meet. 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. 12/22/2014 5:31 PM PT. He would empower the people that worked for him, and hed be a problem solver. Dr. Buss was someone who really cared about other people, and I think that same tradition of loyalty of friendship has filtered down to his children. The trust makes it very difficult for any of them to sell their shares, and impossible without the approval of their other siblings. I think theres a lot of money in it. Jerry West called it the Shaq Diet. From his home in Northridge, Johnny Buss asked his young sons to give him a moment so he could make a phone call. You could see it. 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? Such a meaningful and historical figure to all of us that who love this game and this League. Then he won another five championships. Johnny was previously married to Christy Curtis Buss and has at least two sons. After the championship in 1980, it was like the rocket just took off. He loved plays, and he wanted the focus to be on the athletes and the court. And I remember a nice gesture from him, when I signed my extension during my third year, and I had to have a back surgery. It was just great to be able to watch and learn. It wasnt even in my mind. 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. And his business smarts (also kicked in), and the Laker Girls got branded through Reebok. That was wonderful, to get my game back in gear for the next five games (after the Memorial Day Massacre). Buss said this or Dr. Everyone is tight. and his wife, JoAnn, had four children: Johnny, Jimmy, Jeanie. His first son did not want to carry on his love for basketball, his love for sports the way he wanted.. (My decision to stay) was 100 percent Dr. Buss. He was a first-time owner. Betty and I were friends from 6th grade and we always had a lot of laughs together. It was really vivid and authentic. It was an extension of the brand, a way to reach Los Angeles. I dont remember hearing of him really intervening and drawing a line in the sand for those two. There becomes a bigger trust by an owner, a greater dependency on the people whom youre working closely with. Pat Riley, myself, Dr. Buss and one of his friends. He really was. Today, it's about celebrating his life, his contributions to the city of LA and his inimitable. Johnny, Jim, Jeanie, and Janie with his wife JoAnn Mueller (divorced in 1972), and Joey and Jesse with his girlfriend Karen Demel. So theyre chatting one time, and he says, Hey, would you like to put your name on the building? They say, How would that work? Dr. Buss says, Well, youre going to pay me, wed agree upon a price, and it would become the Great Western Forum. And boom. And I was really just flabbergasted. Born in Salt Lake City, Buss was raised by his divorced mother, Jessie. Just go out there and play. And we all took one set. 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. And Kobe was going to be one of them, we thought. When we won Game 4 in the Garden, that was the big difference. When he bought the team, it was more like a dream come true he told me he always wanted to own the Lakers. It means more, and it means more because of this one man, and everything that came from it. I can remember so many of the players wives and the players, Dr. Buss, wed have dinners and wed all come together. And in hindsight, we can see the result. Meghan Markle. Magics family is like this, and here we are winning all these games. We were just talking friend to friend. He got a big kick out of that, and by the fourth season, he won. I know youre going to shoot straight. He would listen to Jerry (West), Phil but then hed get the confirmation from me. Thats one of the most important things hes taught me. At the very end, wed get to business, and he always had an opinion. This franchise and that franchise, and we got em. This was before smart phones, so there was no cheating. I would watch him ask them how their grandchildren were, if they graduated knowing people by name. The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. Throughout my tenure away from the team, Id send him a note every time they won a championship. He was a master at dealing with people, a genius businessman, and really just as good with people as he was with business. I was a nervous wreck the entire game, and we won the game, and I delivered the best that I could at the time. He went from playing, to (working with) Chick, to assistant coach to a head coach in what, two and a half years? My dad changed the landscape of the NBA in terms of how he thought about the business. He really wanted to own the team.. He really, really, really enjoyed the game of soccer. And I knew, dont talk about management. 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. I cant imagine coming into the league at 18 in a grown mans world. He was 80 years old. Buss said that. We thought it was great. Ten championships? Of course, that series had a, uh, flexible relationship with the truth, as it was a semi-fictionalized story that attempted to entertain rather than educate its audience. You werent just a spreadsheet to him. There was a time in the early 1980s when Dr. Buss would ask me, Whos going to be the most improved team in the league this year by the greatest number of games. Hed say, Well bet a dinner on this. I said, OK, Ill bet with you. So each year, wed both pick a team, and I won for three straight years. If some of Buss children or his ex-wife did want to sell, they would have to overcome some obstacles. It was a remarkable experience that Ill remember forever. After I took the job with the Knicks, Dr. Buss called me on the phone and asked if I was in L.A., and he wanted to have dinner with (my wife) Chris and I. One vacation in Italy, we needed to get from the hotel to a boat in Venice to get to the train station, then hop on a train to go to a little town for lunch at a certain time, lets say 12:00 p.m.; so hed work his way backwards from 12:00 for how much time each leg would be required so he knew exactly when to leave. Not only evidenced by his 10 NBA Championships but also from his sports marketing successes such as creating a regional sports network, establishing the first-ever NBA dance squad, "The Laker Girls," and, of course, designing the VIP row featuring the "Jack Nicholson" seats. 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. So I was just wandering around, and I walked right by this one man who was wearing jeans and maybe an old sports jacket. Id played the whole season with a torn ligament. In lieu of flowers a memorial has been established to St. John Lutheran Church and Cottonwood Hospice both in Beatrice and Gold Crest Center in Adams. He had a cigarette that he was holding down below his waist, and he would pull on it a little bit, and put it back down. When Dr. Buss first bought the team, he looked at what we were charging for floor seats, and knew based on anecdotal data of talking to people that with a young Magic Johnson and this team, he could charge more. 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. Thats probably the most Ive ever seen him animated. How he figured out our monetary system, the Coast Guard, customs, the first inspector general of the Army ridiculous. He leaves behind six children, eight grandchildren, a former wife, two half-siblings and a step-brother. We used to meet almost every month at his house and have lunch, and the lunch was always the same. After Jerry divorced JoAnn, in 1972, he had two more. But I have to do it.. He was the mastermind. 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. 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. Id just moved up to live with him in Playa Vista in 2006, and late one night after a game he was drinking wine. Episode 1 of the docuseries will cover Buss' deal to buy the Lakers from Jack Kent Cooke. Dr. Buss was open to all of the discussions. Its opening night for Staples Center: Nov. 3, 1999. Mr. There was a lot of pressure, but Dr. Buss I think took a lot of that pressure off of us. He was in the entertainment business. Id run into him in Los Angeles at various places and said hello. But thats how I got to know him and the Buss family. 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. He didnt look at it as, someday this is going to blow up and be this incredibly valued team. Jerry's 66 percent ownership of the team passed to each of his six children via a trust, equating to 11 percent per child. I remember wed just won the championship against the Pacers, and he took us down on the floor. 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. 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. My relationship with him, I think, became so close as Id try to explain to him how important each position was and what you would expect from those different positions, and how theyd fit. Then in his third season owning the team, they ended up calling them the Laker Girls, and established a dance team. Until last week when Jeanie Buss fired her brother Jim Buss, all six children spanning 31 years in age from eldest to youngest worked within the Lakers' organization or for the team's NBA. I remember growing up in the 1990s, and often losing to the best teams in the West, like the Supersonics, and then the Jazz. He has appeared in the GSN series High Stakes Poker and the NBC late-night series Poker After Dark. He liked to talk hoops. 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. OK but I dont just want your money, I also want you do this, this and this to build our brand. He cut deals that were unheard of in those days, and I witnessed that. 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. Dr. Jerry Buss was a Wyoming kid with big eyes and a full heart living out his American Dream. So I talked to the NBA, and that started the process of us putting the lighting in that we have now. 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. He was so cool when he introduced himself, so laid back. People would say, What about George Steinbrenner? The difference between Steinbrenner, Dr. Buss was loved by everybody. But I remember after 1985 when I was negotiating my contract. Ex-partner of Private He joined the Lakers in 1998 as an apprentice to General Manager Jerry West. I had to prove that I could play in the NBA. I thought hed go in the top three or four. [5] We talked about his vision, and all types of things. Dr. Buss was happy. I remember once getting a math, or maybe I should call it a business lesson. 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. Rookie owner, rookie player and we did it. It wasnt just owner-athlete relationship, it was more like a family with his employees. When I wanted to get into the theatre business, he was the one who connected me with everybody. Jerry Busss other two sons, Joey and Jesse, are also a part of the LA Lakers operations. And of course I went to greet at him and sat at his table until his guests got there. After Jerry's death, his children took up various roles within the organization, with Jeanie Buss ultimately becoming the president and controlling owner of the Lakers.She was only 17 when her father bought the team, and she held various managerial roles over the years, with the team winning the title in 2020. HRH King Charles III. Dont talk about the owner. Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) February 18, 2013 In January 2008, Buss donated $7.5 million to USC's Department of Chemistry to fund two endowed chairs and an endowed scholarship fund for chemistry graduate students; the two chairs were to be named after his mentors at USC, professors Sidney Benson and David Dows. He was always sitting behind the bench during games and was such a basketball junkie, he just loved being around. I think thats why people just adore him so. As the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers from 1979 until he passed away in 2013, Dr. Jerry Buss oversaw one of the greatest stretches in sports and entertainment history. I played two years for Mr. Cooke, so I could really see the difference (right away). Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. He spent two years convincing Cooke to sell him the team, in May of 1979. Thats how I try to live. And I did very well investing in the coins. An alumnus of Northwestern University and Arcadia High School, she has written about everything from high school sports to college football to boat racing during the past 15 years. It was incredible. I didnt realize this was a thing, where you get handed this trophy from the commissioner and do a speech. Then he started to go to Italy for a month. In total, Jerry forked over $135million for the whole deal. 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. He was a mentor to me in a lot of ways. My last year when I retired (2004-05), I remember being a free agent, and one call from him made my decision easier when he told me, You started with the Lakers, you have to retire with the Lakers. That was my decision, trusting that guy, and man, it was a pleasure to play with him. Its not good for me. And when (my wife) Chris and I would have dinner with Dr. Buss, he was very gracious with Chris. Playing for him was one of the best highlights of my life. Thats the kind of guy you want to partner with. 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. He also taught me how to be a leader and to hire the best people and let them do their jobs. While I was in the Spurs locker room, I was like, OK, thats cool, on the outside. Darrell C. Harriman Law And that was pretty special to hear. We would usually start watching NBA League Pass at 4 p.m., when the Eastern games would come on, but he didnt really know as much about the draft. Because he found out very quick that I was very serious about winning, and he respected that. Kinda rustic. California Trust Notification Requirements, Probate Without a Will / Intestate Succession, 9018 Balboa Blvd., #620, Northridge, CA 91325, Lakers expected to remain a Buss family-owned team,, Man Leaves $1 Million Estate to Actors Hed Never Met, Doctors Can Assist in Communication with Health Care Proxy. Dr. Buss never sat and waited a month or two. I thought it was a 1-on-1 dinner! Its not only a game, its entertainment. He was raised by his mother, Jessie, who worked as a waitress. We had a bunch of guys who were great guys that all knew their roles, and they werent out seeking attention for themselves. After we won our first championship in 1980, we hugged, and said, Can you believe this? I never had a relationship like this, and nor did he. with JoAnn Buss Jeanie Buss born 1961, age 61 (approx.) You wanted to give him a little extra. The 10-part documentary series, which is set to premiere with two episodes on Monday, Aug. 15, will detail the rise of the Lakers after Buss' purchase of the franchise. He was a great man and an incredible friend. Its unbelievable what he did. We were up 3-1, and I remember about 2-to-3 hours before tip, I called him and said, Where are you, why are you not coming to Orlando? He said, Im not going to make it, you have to hold down the fort if we win, you have to accept the trophy. I said, Why cant someone else do it. He said, No, youre an owner, Im having you do it. I said, Well, OK do you have any advice? He said, Oh youll do great, dont worry, and he hung up the phone. He was just one of those type of guys. So a sports writer for the Los Angeles Herald named Frank Grady, he got ahold of me, and I was really still upset and emotional and I just went ballistic. Slow down. He was very patient and he loved timing things out, but not necessarily rushing to places. Our first year! And then we went to the hotel and we danced all night. Having known that about him, after we won various championships, the relief that you saw on him when we got that trophy, it was like he was out there sweating with us. He also began to integrate his youngest sons, Jesse and Joey, more into the basketball business. He put his imprint on the league fast, and then we win the championship too? He is the greatest team owner ever. And how he conducted business, it was always, hey, Im holding all the cards. It feels small, but its not. 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 dont think other teams really wanted to deal with us to begin with, and then (that happened). Let them do their jobs Stakes Poker and the NBC late-night series Poker after Dark loved. 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