We didnt plan to meet, but after work one time, I stopped at Dan Tanas by myself. In the summer of 1986, I had no idea that I was about to be traded to San Antonio. As a player, he helped lead the Lakers to three NBA championships in 1980, 1982, and 1985. academy of western music; mucinex loss of taste and smell; william fuld ouija board worth. He had two more children with his girlfriend, Karen Demel: Joey and Jesse. MORE:How to watch Lakers documentary on Hulu. Am I going to have to go back to serve the army? I get this call, and (am told) Dr. Buss wants to see you. 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 got a big kick out of that, and by the fourth season, he won. and his wife, JoAnn, had four children: Johnny, Jimmy, Jeanie. 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. "My dream really was to have the Lakers and Los Angeles identified as one and the same," Buss said in a 2010 interview with ESPNLosAngeles.com. He was a mentor to me in a lot of ways. I didnt know all of the backchannel plans that he had about the team and what he wanted to do, but I just know that he was really excited about being the owner of the Lakers. He wanted it to be entertainment mixed in with a great team, and he was fortunate enough that he had a great team. Just go out there and play. And I was happy to be a part of it, because Jack Kent Cooke, as great a businessman as he was, he was tough. In exchange, Cooke received a lease to the Chrysler Building in New York City, along with properties in Virginia, Massachusetts, and Maryland. I think his father was a coal miner, if I remember correctly, and we shared a lot of personal things that you share if you like each other. He had a lot to prove: a lot of people looked at him, because he didnt wear a suit and tie, he came in as a different owner. I was just sitting there. So I immersed myself into the college game and wanted to be that for my dad, so we wouldnt take up a lot of cap space, but we could still get valuable role players. He was the mastermind. But I have to do it.. I miss him a lot. She was given up for adoption because, as her adoption papers stated, her parents didn't have the time,. Jerry (West) was so happy. 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. It was kind of cool to be a player and celebrate in the locker room with him in 1985 as a youngster. It really became overwhelming to see just how much he put into seeing every single little detail of that trade. I remember when he explained it to me we all knew Wrigley Field, where the Cubs played. I was a dominant player in Games 2 through 6, and we got over the hump finally. 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. Buss turned Lakers games into experiences. 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. Im still not quite sure what possessed him to have me do it that time. He would call me in some days and hed say Hey, hey, be a coach. His daughter, Jeanie, took over the Lakers in March 2017. So he went to Jerry West, and said, weve got to get somebody to come and get us back to winning. We were coming off a championship. We wanted to change that, and one way was to have entertainment all the way through the game, he said. And I know when it was all done, Dr. Buss was just very proud. 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. The sale of the team would require a majority vote among the six children. Now, after a public legal fight that split the siblings, Johnny is even more ready to move on. 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. When he bought the Forum, it was called the Forum. Jerry Buss has six children, one of whom is Jeanie Buss. Wed celebrate, have the parade, have a party, and then hed go to Vegas. Now, after we won the title that first year in 1999-2000, Id go back to Dr. Buss to ask for approval of updated price codes, and Id have a document that compared last years price codes to what I was suggesting for the 2000-01 season. 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. It was really vivid and authentic. with JoAnn Buss{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "JoAnn Buss", "gender": "Female" }, Joey Buss{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Joey Buss", "gender": "Male" }, born 1985, age 37 (approx.) Jerry Buss bought the Los Angeles Lakers from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979. If I just followed the blueprint he laid out for me, I was going to be successful, and I did. Mr. One of the great things about my dad is that no matter how successful he was, and no matter how much in the public spotlight he was, he always valued his family. He had Hugh Hefner come with all the girls, and then I invited Michael Jackson. Dr. Buss literally went through every moment vicariously with us. Were just talking basketball for hours, until 2 a.m., and Im telling him about how I love being a talent evaluator. I thought I was just starting to play well, starting to blend in. We used to meet almost every month at his house and have lunch, and the lunch was always the same. It was weird timing, because Kobe was during that time also unhappy and there were stories of him potentially getting traded, or being able to move on from L.A., and then looking for a different situation. It wasnt much of a workout. But how can I contribute? He was a very intuitive guy, said Steiner. Just showed up and watched. I think the desire to be an owner left when my dad passed away, Johnny said. with JoAnn Buss{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "JoAnn Buss", "gender": "Female" }, Janie Buss{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Janie Buss", "gender": "Female" }, born 1963, age 59 (approx.) I remember watching those games with my dad. To me, that sums up everything about who he was and how much he cared about always wanting to his players to feel good about him and about the brand, especially for somebody that played as many years for the Lakers as I did. 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. Father of Private; Private; Janie Drexel; Private and Private, Gerald Hatten "Jerry" Buss (January 27, 1933 February 18, 2013) was an American businessman, real estate investor and chemist. 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. A lot of good times, and so much success on the court. Finding great success in the real estate business, he pursued real estate investing full time. I remember his comments in the locker room, you can look it up, about removing a certain sentence in the English language. I first met him at Muhammad Alis retirement party at the Forum. He was the first to see this league as the entertainment value that it is. On the other hand, Jesse Buss is the Assistant General Manager of the LA Lakers. He had something written on it, but it was turned over. I was thankful he gave me an opportunity to get involved, and more importantly, get involved with someone like him where I learned a lot. So I was just wandering around, and I walked right by this one man who was wearing jeans and maybe an old sports jacket. We talked about where he was at in his life the Lakers we covered everything. That was part of the floor seat program. All these companies want to do business with the Lakers? He created new revenue streams; thats why everybody has a club now. Countless times to the Western Conference Finals but no, were not putting those banners up. Fortunately, we put together a miraculous comeback. At a young age, Jerry would stand on bread lines to get food for himself and his single mother. We were down, and it was that same old thing. That was one of his favorite things he started doing later on, because before, he was doing Hawaii for a month. I wanted that to be the case here as well. It wasnt owner-player, it was two guys hanging out. He wanted to win every single year, but he also knew that was impossible. When Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers back in 1979, he turned a perennial second-place franchise into a pillar of excellence. A few days later, the first time I met Dr. Buss was at the Forum Club, after a game. Dont talk about the owner. 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. After a brief stint in the aerospace industry, Buss began working as a professor at the University of Southern California in the Chemistry department. He sold the team in 2006. 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. It was a conversation that only he and I knew about. His daughter, Jeanie, took over the Lakers in March 2017. 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.. And its crazy how the Lakers are one of the biggest, most successful franchises in sports history, and it feels like a mom and pop organization. We were big into collecting basketball cards growing up. It was a ritual. 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. "When you think New York, you think Yankees. 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. His beloved Lakers made it to the Finals 16 times nearly half of his 33 seasons and won 10 championships while missing the playoffs only twice. Magics mom was a Seventh Day Adventist, and they have similar dietary restrictions as Muslims, and she was aware of my faith, so she would cook for me and take care of me when I was on the road and wed cut through and play in Detroit. Naming rights. 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. Copyright FameChain 2023, All rights reserved. Ten titles. Shaq, myself, the whole team, we didnt know. Coincidentally, I went to work out the next morning, and I was looking for gyms out there. 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. 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). During his induction into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2010, Magic Johnson called Jerry a master at building a team.. And when we were all kids and we were together growing up, wed always watch the games. He was a wheeler and dealer. We shared a hobby as coin collectors, and Dr. Buss owned some really important coins, and I was aware of that. We had a bunch of guys who were great guys that all knew their roles, and they werent out seeking attention for themselves. She is the one who took over the family business, and her children may do the same someday. Coach him! He says hes tried to apologize. I just think he did a great job with the opportunity that he had, and his vision has really benefitted the game. In contrast, Buss sons are primarily absent from the narrative for the most part. That was my reaction. Its the first thing you do now when youre going to build a building. Hed get a chuckle out of it, and a lot of satisfaction. 1 seed in West, Another Trevor Bauer defamation suit is thrown out. Obviously he went to USC, and he loved the band. He was one of the first people to do it, and now its commonplace. Jerry West called it the Shaq Diet. But thats how I got to know him and the Buss family. Rattling off 10 championships before his passing in 2013. I was like, Listen, I havent talked to anybody from the Lakers organization, no one has called me, I dont know if its true. He said, Well, we think its true, weve talked to Jerry West. I said, Well you know what, I dont know who the manager is of this team. It began when Dr. Buss purchased his dream. Every day, wed just hang out together between practice sessions. Today, it's about celebrating his life, his contributions to the city of LA and his inimitable. Then in his third season owning the team, they ended up calling them the Laker Girls, and established a dance team. We talked for about an hour and a half, two hours, and I decided to believe in him, and he believed in me. Theres a picture I have in my office where guys are grabbing his shoulders, throwing champagne on him, Im messing his hair up. That would be incredible.. There was nothing too distract them, the players, and the family, because it really was all about the Lakers, all about preparing for the games, all about having fun in the games, Showtime, all about having fun in Los Angeles, all about having fun as families. Read More: Where is Jerry Buss Daughter Jeanie Buss Now? USC Band. And that was pretty special to hear. Elon Musk. When Earvin announced he was HIV positive, it was a tough day. It was this big weight had been taken off of his back. Never raised his voice, and that inspired people. What a unique talent he was. I understood him, because he was a man that loved to have fun, but he was also very competitive at everything. At the time of his death, a Buss family spokesperson declared that the children had "no interest in ever selling the team.". It was a long time before the other franchises got wise like that. However, Johnny stated that he did not wish to be a part of the family business. It feels small, but its not. 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. He spent two years convincing Cooke to sell him the team, in May of 1979. His best finishes included third in the 1991 World Series of Poker seven-card stud event and second place in the 2003 World Poker Tour Freeroll invitational. He didnt look at it as, someday this is going to blow up and be this incredibly valued team. It wasnt even close. The couple has four children together two elder sons, Johnny Buss (born in 1956), James "Jim" Buss (born in 1959), and two younger daughters in Jeanie Buss (born in 1961) and Janie Buss (born in 1963). I had been a coach for three years, and I told him no, this is not something I should do. He noticed for a few years that the owner, Jack Kent Cooke, was not attending Laker games. We never had any problems to talk about, except for any games that we might lose. That meant a lot to us at that particular time, because it was a very difficult time, uncertain. Johnny says its all a misunderstanding. He was a very, very, very generous man. Buss made several key moves in his early years as the team's owner, most notably selecting Magic Johnson with the No. I know youre going to shoot straight. He would listen to Jerry (West), Phil but then hed get the confirmation from me. I was a little uptight, and didnt really know what to expect, so my first impression just totally relaxed me. 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. He was that dude. They watched the game and came out cheering and smiling, and I asked whats happening, and he said, Were getting ice cream! I was excited to have the ice cream thats probably when becoming a Lakers fan began for me. Fans could see celebrities sitting along the sidelines, live bands playing music and the famous "Laker Girls" doing their dance routines. People would say, What about George Steinbrenner? The difference between Steinbrenner, Dr. Buss was loved by everybody. In 1979 Jerry purchased Pickfair Mansion in Beverly Hills from the estate of Mary Pickford. I think theres a lot of money in it. with JoAnn Buss Jim Buss born 1959, age 63 (approx.) Jerry Busss other two sons, Joey and Jesse, are also a part of the LA Lakers operations. My father, Dr. Jerry Buss, holds the honor of being the most successful owner in the history of professional sports. When I wanted to get into the theatre business, he was the one who connected me with everybody. Whatever Lamar got paid was worth it. Lee was born in 1953 and is the first child of Dr. Jerry Buss and JoAnn Mueller. why was waylon jennings buried in mesa az; chop pediatric residency 9018 Balboa Blvd., #620, Northridge, CA 91325 (My decision to stay) was 100 percent Dr. Buss. If anybody thought that Johnny or Jeanie or Jimmy or any of his kids could fill his shoes, theyre grandly mistaken, Johnny said. So I became obsessed with it, and how that process worked. In other words, how offensive could it be? Jesse would just rattle off the stats. Since Joey and Jesse were little, wed go to the card shop and buy basketball cards, and (Dr. Buss) would love to quiz them on the players. For himself and his single mother rattling off 10 championships before his passing in 2013 we all knew roles! Doing later on, because he was the first thing you jerry buss grandchildren now when youre going to the! Jerry ( West ), Phil but then hed go to Vegas have entertainment all way... 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