The team folded in 1989 and the league folded three years later. He was there to support us. Now, after a public legal fight that split the siblings, Johnny is even more ready to move on. He created new revenue streams; thats why everybody has a club now. He was the mastermind. And we drafted a kid who we think is going to be phenomenal. I told him when I saw him in college at LSU: The day I saw you, I went and told our owner, Jerry Buss, he has to wear a Laker uniform one day. In the process of this thing, I said, Jerry, this is going to really be costly. with Karen Demel In 2012, Buss was in a hospital for months with an undisclosed intestinal problem. So he created the Senate seats program sort of the precursor to the club suites program. It was an important economic trend, another thing that he identified, and brought the NBA into more prominence. Fascinating man. 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. 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. This was like brothers. So in 1985, Im playing for Dr. Jerry Buss, and hes a legend. Buss later sold the Kings, retaining ownership of the Lakers and The Forum. [3] Buss started as a chemist for the Bureau of Mines (now the Mine Safety and Health Administration); he then briefly worked in the aerospace industry and was on the faculty of USC's chemistry department. He saved Ronnys life, and he didnt have to. He currently resides in the Greater Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. He would call me in some days and hed say Hey, hey, be a coach. 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). 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.. His ex-wife owns a portion of the team but does not have the ability to vote on a sale. 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. Countless times to the Western Conference Finals but no, were not putting those banners up. I was finally going to join the team I grew up loving in the Bahamas as a kid, from afar. I remember once getting a math, or maybe I should call it a business lesson. And especially on airplanes, hed always ask me what I was reading, because he was an avid reader. He was like, The contract is good. We had a few. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Even that youd think, well how can a guy (that processed things so fast) not make a mistake? Theyd grab a card, and hed ask them what their stats were that year. Kurt Rambis doing his usual mischief, (having fun) with Dr. Buss. I went there in the morning, and it was rare, because Pau never wakes up in the morning to work out! 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. He really was in a lot of ways a mentor, in business, in life and in basketball. We always talked about why I did the business I did and how it was going to work. He didnt want to go fast. He understood the brand of the Lakers, and that first time he sat down with me in 1979, he said, I want to make the Lakers a household name. Basically, he wanted Showtime. Upon his fathers death in 2013, that interest waned even more. We wanted it so bad. During the Finals in Philly in 2001, we would get cheesesteaks before the games. From online or printed sources and from publicly accessible databases. His first investment in the 1960s was $1,000 in a West Los Angeles apartment building. 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. I know you may not believe that, but trust me, we do. And then when I came down to Miami, it was a whole new world for me down here. We thought it was great. Jeanie Buss, the teams governor and controlling owner has made clear the Lakers are not for sale. My dad only missed the playoffs twice in his entire 34-year tenure as an owner. I hope he was looking down happy, and we hoped that the Buss family was happy with everything. 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. Jerry Busss other two sons, Joey and Jesse, are also a part of the LA Lakers operations. Ten titles. He allowed Jerry West to make the bulk of the basketball decisions, and Dr. Buss would give him the yay or nay, and most of the time it was a yay. I think its because he commanded that respect. On February 14, 2013, it was revealed that Jerry had been battling cancer since the year before and four days later, he passed away at age 80. And in hindsight, we can see the result. 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. Daniel's 5th outing as Bond gets bums back on seats in the cinema. I love it. He was very appreciative, very happy. 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. That was his vision. 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. I remember being bummed with all my friends that we werent going to be able to see Magic Is Back, as it was being marketed at the time. Janie, Joey and their youngest brother Jesse have been firm in their support of Jeanie, whom the trusts designate as the Lakers controlling owner for the rest of her life. You focus on star players like Kobe and Shaq when youre a kid. 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. He also taught me how to be a leader and to hire the best people and let them do their jobs. With 10 NBA championships under his belt, Jerry was the single most decorated owner in sports history. What a unique talent he was. 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. It wasnt an accident, and the Laker brand exploded. New Jersey in 2002 was great; we stayed in New York. 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. The entrepreneur, the Doctor. Very happy.*L.A. It really became overwhelming to see just how much he put into seeing every single little detail of that trade. He called Jerry, and it was done. We were all super excited to see him play, and one of the referees threw him out early on for arguing calls. But with cap space so precious, and stars so important, I looked at the draft and saw how late first round picks dont make a lot in salary. And how he conducted business, it was always, hey, Im holding all the cards. He spent two years convincing Cooke to sell him the team, in May of 1979. AFTER purchasing the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979, Dr Jerry Buss started a legacy that still continues to this day. A funeral service was held on Tuesday, February 28th 2023 at 10:00 AM at the same location. At a young age, Jerry would stand on bread lines to get food for himself and his single mother. I remember being in the Finals against Philadelphia, and we were at the hotel bar of the team hotel. He made you feel appreciated, and part of the family. 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. Through his 80th birthday on January 27, 2013, he had not attended a Lakers game during the 201213 season due to health concerns. He had two more children with his girlfriend, Karen Demel: Joey and Jesse. It became a happening. 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. He was a mentor to me in a lot of ways. When I wanted to get into the theatre business, he was the one who connected me with everybody. In 1989, he gave me a five-year contract, and they hadnt even hired the head coach yet. 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. "With him, it's never been about putting money in his pocket. 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. 9018 Balboa Blvd., #620, Northridge, CA 91325 I dont think theres any thrill in it. Fast facts to know about Lakers owner before release of Hulu documentary, Buss said in a 2010 interview with ESPNLosAngeles.com. Jessie Buss Cause Of Death? I remember walking into his bedroom and seeing 20 or 30 pieces of fax paper spread all over his bed as he was pouring over and analyzing every scenario and option. 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. Id say, I call it the smorgasbord defense a little bit of everything.. Ex-husband of JoAnn Mueller That was part of the floor seat program. We really hit it off. Dr. Buss was there with us. My contract is up, wed just beaten the Celtics in Boston, everybody was happy. Back then, (player movement) on that scale was not something that happened that often I think Dr. Buss mindset played into it a lot. After Jerry divorced JoAnn, in 1972, he had two more. There was purity to that. One story showed how appreciative he was for the work that he did, and for playing hard for the city of Los Angeles. Son of Lydus Henry Buss and Jessie Mae Buss I think when you have success, its just different. He revealed that he wasnt very interested in the familys sports ownership business, and his interest further diminished after his fathers death. 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.) It was in that year when Jerry was able to pull off the most complicated and lucrative transaction in sports history - buying the Lakers. We were out there on family vacation, and (Dr. Buss) was in Italy, and he hopped a plane to come sit with me. The NBA wasnt like what it is today at that time. Over the shows first season, Buss daughter, Jeanie Buss, assists Claire Rothman and works to realize her fathers grand vision for the Lakers. 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. He owns The Ice House, a comedy club in Pasadena, California, and has also shown interest in politics. And he had his hands on everything. Theres not going to be a 7th game. The lying in state was held on Monday, February 27th 2023 from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Fox Funeral Home (1116 N 19th St, Beatrice, NE 68310). Coincidentally, I went to work out the next morning, and I was looking for gyms out there. It was this big weight had been taken off of his back. He was always sitting behind the bench during games and was such a basketball junkie, he just loved being around. I think Dr. Buss always had a plan in life. He was just one of those type of guys. Having him around, you always felt support. 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. Not much is known about Johnnys early life or educational background. 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. It was really vivid and authentic. When he approached a problem, he never panicked, he never screamed, he was methodical in his approach. He had it all memorized in his head. 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? If there was a possibility of me getting totally out of the Lakers, then I was open to it.. Jim worked as the President of Los Angeles Lazers from 1985 (to 1989), succeeding his elder brother in the role. I dont do death very well. He was my mentor. However, that changes in the season finale as Buss wishes to bring more family members into the new family business. 12/22/2014 5:31 PM PT. And I was really just flabbergasted. 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. That was a lesson learned. It was a very unique way of conducting business. The . The next season, they wanted more of a team, so they called them the Golden Girls, and they had big pom poms. If anybody thought that Johnny or Jeanie or Jimmy or any of his kids could fill his shoes, theyre grandly mistaken, Johnny said. Hes probably one of the best owners in the history of the NBA. It would be decades later, at age 34, when Jerry made his first million. academy of western music; mucinex loss of taste and smell; william fuld ouija board worth. If you knew me you would understand Im not about money at all. 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. We were the only team to win a world championship in Boston Garden other than the Celtics. And Jerry West pulled off the biggest free agent signing there ever was when he brought Shaquille ONeal in 1996. 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. So I got back to L.A., and Dr. Buss called me in his office, and hes like, look, This is a business, this is the way it goes, we dont have to tell you. I said, I at least expect a phone call. He said I understand youre upset, it was taken out of context. Of course, I had to go talk to Magic too, and Magic said Theyd have to give up a lot more to get James Worthy. You know how that goes. And I walked right by him. Throughout my tenure away from the team, Id send him a note every time they won a championship. Episode 1 of the docuseries will cover Buss' deal to buy the Lakers from Jack Kent Cooke. So I was just wandering around, and I walked right by this one man who was wearing jeans and maybe an old sports jacket. He understood that I needed that, and I would have been lost out here in this big city. He was a wheeler and dealer. Buss was a high-stakes cash game poker player for many years, but later in life was more active in tournament games. And of course I went to greet at him and sat at his table until his guests got there. Wed played pool until 2 or 3 in the morning he loved to play 8 ball, and he was much better than me. I will miss her and send my deepest sympathy to the family.. And I remember after Game 7 of the 2010 Finals against Boston, down on the court amongst all the fanfare, Dr. Buss and I huddled up a little bit and kind of smiled. He said, I want to do something for you for what youve done over the 1980s. I was just an assistant coach, with that kind of contract. 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. All relationship and family history information shown on FameChain has been compiled from data in the public domain. 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. We took a little bit longer to know each other, but he was great for me and for my family. I remember when he explained it to me we all knew Wrigley Field, where the Cubs played. Kind of re-thinking the economics of ticket sales. In any industry, when your boss says youre doing a good job, thats what you want to hear. 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. Dr. Buss knew his team needed more wins than losses, but he also knew they needed to entertain. His vision and creating an organization where we all felt like a family, and we all felt very important to him. 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. Had they succeeded, that would have removed her as the Lakers controlling owner and could have threatened the Buss familys ownership of the Lakers. Theres a picture I have in my office where guys are grabbing his shoulders, throwing champagne on him, Im messing his hair up. All these companies want to do business with the Lakers? If you wish to learn more about the whereabouts of Jerry Buss sons, here is everything you need to know! 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. And wed go out and hed introduce me to some of the really good night clubs at the time during the time that I could go out. 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