Jerry Buss was an American businessman who began his professional career as a chemist and worked at the Bureau of Mines (presently known as the Mine Safety and Health Administration). Ten championships? We had growth within our own team, like Andrew Bynum, to go with Kobe and Lamar. Incredible. We had some tumultuous losses. This is two days after the parade and everything. I was with Jerry West, (a.k.a.) He was that dude. I get up, I go there at 10 a.m. to his office (at the Forum) and they tell me I have to wait, Dr. Buss is in a meeting with Jerry West. We made it a mission to play them again in 1985, to prove to ourselves and the world that we could beat them. Jeanie, Dr. Buss and I spent a lot of time talking about price sensitivity. 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.. Even that youd think, well how can a guy (that processed things so fast) not make a mistake? He made you feel appreciated, and part of the family. I thought, Wow, this is awesome. And he had his hands on everything. New Jersey in 2002 was great; we stayed in New York. 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. That was the plan that I understood.. He used to always say, Now Bill, you go ahead and tell me what you think, and then you listen to what I have to say. Then in his third season owning the team, they ended up calling them the Laker Girls, and established a dance team. Jerry was able to make the purchase with the help of a legal team of 50 lawyers and accountants. Jerry Buss has six children. And thats how I recollect my relationship with him. Because when the Lakers were playing, the men got the stage and the platform. I was happy. The whole franchise. Whatever Lamar got paid was worth it. He wanted it to be entertainment mixed in with a great team, and he was fortunate enough that he had a great team. We really were a family, and we were intact as a team, and all the families were invested. But how can I contribute? If you wish to learn more about the whereabouts of Jerry Buss sons, here is everything you need to know! "I can remember standing in a [Works Progress Administration] line with a gunny sack, and I remember having to buy chocolate milk instead of white because it was one cent cheaper," Buss told The Boston Globe in 1987. One story showed how appreciative he was for the work that he did, and for playing hard for the city of Los Angeles. 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. 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. He was always right. He initially worked in the aerospace industry before he built up his fortune alongside his friend and business partner, Frank Mariani, with real estate investments. I remember the locker room celebration with Dr. Buss after we won Game 6 in L.A., and he was just like the rest of us sitting at the bar just talking and kibitzing. He currently resides in the Greater Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. He had a remarkable vision about how he wanted to see this team play. I thought we were at our very, very best even though we got beat by the Pistons on that 3-peat effort, we were undefeated going into the Finals until Magic and Byron got hurt. The purchase price, $67.5 million, made it the largest transaction in sports history at that time. I miss him a lot. 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 . Coach him! 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. 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. I asked him, How could you go up there and do that? He said, I just did it. I said, But youre so good at it! Hes like, I hate it! The NBA lost a great man. And at the time, Cooke owned an NFL team in Washington, and he saw Jerry Buss as a worthy person to carry on with the Lakers and the Los Angeles Kings and the Forum. I cant do that! He said, Well thats what I had in mind. I said, I cant pick up the tab for a whole group of people! And that was the end of our betting routine. Later on, Dancing Barry. 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. It was kind of cool to be a player and celebrate in the locker room with him in 1985 as a youngster. It was like watching a 17-year-old guy just batter a 30-something year old guy, and youd expect itd be a lot more balanced than that. That helped save this league. Success starts at the top. He knew wed thrive under that pressure. He says he plans to run for political office next year, but wouldnt say which one. Kind of a unique thing, against the same team (Boston). He liked to talk hoops. It was too good to be true. Almost never, to my knowledge, I dont remember ever seeing him with a pen or a pad in front of him. Today, you cant. Because every family member of the Buss family Ive ever met knows how to treat people. The latest installment of BEYOND THE GLORY goes beyond the glitz and glamour of the Lakers' owner and takes an in-depth look at the personal lives and struggles of one of sports' most well . 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. Worthy, Riley, Magic, Cooper, and Buss Celebrate the 1987 Title. There wasnt a lot of sour grapes between players and Dr. Buss. Son of Lydus Henry Buss and Jessie Mae Buss Laker Girls. And then when I came down to Miami, it was a whole new world for me down here. In my rookie year, my first meeting with Dr. Buss, I didnt speak English. I wouldnt ever want to try that. My biggest concern was being traded every year. We were big into collecting basketball cards growing up. She is survived by : her children, Gail Kruse (Jim) of Sunrise Beach, MO and Jerry Buss of Beatrice; her grandchildren, Jennifer Surface (Matt), Brooke Pohlman (Jordan), Kelsey Weishahn (Spencer), Abbee Buss, Bryce Buss (Cheyanne) and Abby Morgan (Tristan); her great grandchildren, Kaysee Meyer, Collin Surface, River Morgan and Weishahn; her siblings, Anora Schoen and Ron Busboom (Verla); and her siblings-in-law, Marlene Busboom, Karen Buss, Betty St. Clair and Kenny Miller. However, that changes in the season finale as Buss wishes to bring more family members into the new family business. It was really a great celebration of life for him, and I was so proud of that. 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. Jerry Busss other two sons, Joey and Jesse, are also a part of the LA Lakers operations. He loved plays, and he wanted the focus to be on the athletes and the court. With the Lakers, it was one man. When Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers back in 1979, he turned a perennial second-place franchise into a pillar of excellence. Buss also owned other professional sports franchises in Southern California. He was very, very friendly, and the door was always open. I thought he was kidding. 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 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. He loved to jump on it. I havent seen that a lot in my 11 years being around the league, owners being that human. From his home in Northridge, Johnny Buss asked his young sons to give him a moment so he could make a phone call. He inspired the Lakers' Showtime era with his vision that basketball games must be entertaining. 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Jerry Buss' purchase of the Lakers in 1979 started a family legacy that still continues to this day, In order to purchase the team, Jerry had a team of lawyers and accountants and ultimately exchanged the Chrysler building in NYC, Under Jerry's ownership, the Lakers would win 10 NBA titles making him the most decorated owner in sports history, Jerry's daughter, Jeanie, took over the Lakers in March 2017, Inside the wild story of the Lakers family legacy after Dr Jerry Buss exchanged the Chrysler building for the team, Chelsea sell wonderkid Billy Gilmour to Brighton for 9m as midfielder agrees four-year contract at the Amex, Chelsea confirm 10m transfer of Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with Marcos Alonso heading to Nou Camp, Fulham confirm season-long loan transfer from Leeds star Dan James on busy day for Marco Silva's side, 'Not always easy' - Hector Bellerin posts emotional message to Arsenal fans after joining Barcelona on free transfer, 'This isnt the club it was two years ago' - Rodgers slams Leicester's transfer business with Foxes bottom of league, Michy Batshuayi transfer from Chelsea to Nottingham Forest COLLAPSES after documents not sent in time, Aston Villa HIJACK West Ham's move for Jan Bednarek and agreeing season-long loan transfer for Southampton defender, Bamba Dieng walks out of private jet terminal for flight to Leeds and chooses Nice transfer.. but then FAILS medical, Fulham complete transfers of ex-Arsenal and Chelsea ace Willian and former Tottenham striker Carlos Vinicius. He knew we had a great team, and he dealt with the good and the bad. But when we did speak and get a chance to talk to each other, I thought it was real genuine. Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. Dr. Buss, many nights after the games where hed come down to the locker room after everybody cleared out. Buss turned Lakers games into experiences. Buying the Forum, Lakers, Kings and other properties was the largest sports transaction at that time. We thought it was great. 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. I stopped in there, and Dr. Buss walked in. Jerry always planned to pass down the Lakers to his children via a trust. 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 a conversation that only he and I knew about. The only way for us to change was to do something drastic. We always knew he was the boss, dont get me wrong, and we knew if he wasnt pleased with how we were playing, but he was such a good guy that you really wanted to give that little extra. I would watch him ask them how their grandchildren were, if they graduated knowing people by name. We shared a hobby as coin collectors, and Dr. Buss owned some really important coins, and I was aware of that. So Jerry picked me up at the airport in his 944 Porsche. He saved Ronnys life, and he didnt have to. They didnt sell the naming rights, they (used their name). 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. The $24 million he purchased for the Lakers and Kings would be $95.57 million in today's money. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Dennis Schroder leads depleted Lakers to crucial win over Thunder, LeBron-less Lakers cant keep pace with Ja Morant, Grizzlies, LeBron James to miss Lakers game Tuesday and possibly more, We keep progressing: Lakers takeaways after beating Dallas, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Best coffee city in the world? He left the organization in good hands Jeanie is a great owner, too. Eventually, all three teams moved into a more modern arena in downtown Los Angeles, the Staples Center, which opened in 1999. He just really capped it off and said what we all were thinking. He was really a very nice guy who enjoyed the fun things in life. The one (free agent) that was really the star on top of the Christmas tree was Shaquille ONeal. [5] It feels small, but its not. There was something about both of us. We were out there on family vacation, and (Dr. Buss) was in Italy, and he hopped a plane to come sit with me. Money has never been a part of my being. Some might wonder if his death will bring radical changes to the ownership of the team, but according to his family, that's not very likely. 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. Think about somebody calling you to say goodbye, and we both cried for I dont know how many hours. He didnt want to go fast. He was 80 years old. James Jim Hatten Buss was born on November 9, 1959, and is the second eldest son of Jerry Buss. I remember his comments in the locker room, you can look it up, about removing a certain sentence in the English language. The hotel recommended this (gym), and I went there in the morning, and Pau Gasol was there. His vision that, Im going to get this big guy, and were going to go from there. He was very positive, and his dreams were never unrealistic, and set the tempo for the franchise to keep moving forward. And quite frankly, I cant remember a time where he made a bad decision. It was just a conversation (Dr. Buss) and I had. Slow down. He was very patient and he loved timing things out, but not necessarily rushing to places. So when you talk about him not being a person who would yell or be a tyrant or throw things to motivate, he was a teacher, and he knew how to motivate people. 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