But inside it was the 4th of July, with fireworks. After her mothers death, Buss wrote on Instagram, it is impossible to say goodbye to the most important woman in my life. 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. The entrepreneur, the Doctor. He was such a positive, caring, funny, courageous, kind-hearted and just plain outstanding guy. and Ph.D. in physical chemistry by age 24. Thats one thing different about Dr. Buss different from owners back in the day he was a celebrity too. And he had an ability to let Bill Sharman, Jerry West, Pete Newell make important decisions that he didnt have the background to make. Jeanie, Dr. Buss and I spent a lot of time talking about price sensitivity. It was just great to be able to watch and learn. It didnt just happen. And he did. Make sure you have Adobe Acrobat Reader v.5 or above installed on your computer for viewing and printing the PDF resources on this site. We didnt have 10 people doing it. Then he started to go to Italy for a month. I thought it was a 1-on-1 dinner! The league eventually And when Dr. Buss said that, that was all our thinking. Jessies claim to fame was a result of her relationship with her son Jerry Buss who was known for being the owner of Jerry Busss oldest kid is Lee Buss. Thiry has appeared on nationally televised sports broadcasts on Fox Sports 1. Gerald Hatten "Jerry" Buss (January 27, 1933 February 18, 2013) was an American businessman, real estate investor, and chemist. The Buss family drama was highlighted after Jerry Buss death when Buss took over the business operations and became the Lakers governor. Buss makes a downpayment of $18 million and signs the agreement. She attempted to follow her DNA and discover her biological parents with the aid of Ancestry.com. Jackson wore a Lakers shirt when he cooked dinner for Jeanie one night, his sly signal to her that he was in. WNBA history to dunk in a game. I couldnt be more thankful for all the parties involved in that trade, because it really changed my career here in the NBA, and gave me a second life. Have you ever seen anybody win the lottery? The Buss family still When she turned 17, she ended up moving in with her father in Pickfair, a 42-room mansion in Beverly Hills. But it was one of the toughest things Ive encountered physically, mentally and emotionally. Buss had four children with his wife, JoAnn Mueller: Johnny, Jim, Jeanie and Janie. explained this lack of acceptance made him a very compassionate person. This She was raised alongside three siblings by Joann and Jerry Buss. His vision inspired us and gave us the OK to be, sometimes, and thats pretty cool. We were just talking friend to friend. 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. I think that was the only ring that he wore, when we beat Boston the first time. He was just really conscious of people around him and respected people that worked for him. He did his research, then acted on his conclusions, long-time family spokesman Bob Steiner

I love it. He was very appreciative, very happy. She accepted her history as she grew older and is now at peace with everything that transpired. Dan Grigsby Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel. You dont realize these things until you get my age, that you have these kinds of people, that theyre not just your boss. 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. Keep reading to During the Finals in Philly in 2001, we would get cheesesteaks before the games. By the end of the 70s, Buss Required fields are marked *. In the early 60s Buss Lee Klose, aka Lee Buss, is the eldest adopted daughter of Jerry Buss. Jeanie Buss, who worked in numerous roles for her father over the years, has taken the most prominent role of all Jerrys children. 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. Think about somebody calling you to say goodbye, and we both cried for I dont know how many hours. When he bought the team, there were literally two prices: the downstairs and the upstairs. Just go out there and play.

later rounds. They picked up right from it and you could tell, they were so well prepared. Its easy to say that he was the best sports owner around the world. He was there to support us. Buss owned a majority Winning drove both of us. However, Buss does not have the money on hand and must figure out a way to come up with the shortfall. This includes personalizing your content. He always was that kind of an owner. Very happy.*L.A. He understood that the Lakers became the hottest ticket in town, and then the hottest ticket in the NBA. Not just in the Lakers and what theyd become but he had a plan. 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.

Thats when I got to meet Magics family. [7] In 1979, Buss purchased Pickfair, the Beverly Hills estate once owned by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks;[4] he sold it in 1987.[8]. We had several specialists look at him, and got a call from the guy at Stanford University, and he said, Im not worried about Ronny dying on the basketball court, I'm worried about Ronny dropping dead walking down the street. At that point, Ronny wasnt at Gonzaga anymore, so they didnt have health insurance for him; we hadnt signed him, so we werent responsible for his healthcare, and he had no personal healthcare insurance. When she tells that story, Buss gets choked up. If you got up five miles over the speed limit, hed say, What are you doing? I thought he was really sincere about the things that he always said, so thats what I appreciated the most about him. The Lakers are no longer a joke. From online or printed sources and from publicly accessible databases. American businessman and investor (19332013), daughter-of-lakers-owner-jerry-buss-be-the-next-to-rule-her-fathers-sports-kingdom-or-will-one-of-her-brothers-rise-to-power-a-fractured-family-fable, Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Lakers' Jeanie Buss: She's Got Balls - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com", Jerry Buss, Longtime Lakers Owner, Is Dead at 80, "Whether It's the L.A. Lakers or a Lovely Woman, Jerry Buss Is Interested in Champions", "Lakers Legendary Jerry Buss and His "Rags to Riches" Story Truly One of a Kind", "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2010", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", "A Bad Fold by David Grey on Poker After Dark", Los Angeles Times: "All in the Family - If Jerry Buss has his way, the Lakers will belong to his kids" by John Ireland, "Lee Klose finds birth family after decades", Dodgers affected by Jerry Buss like no other non-NBA team, "Buss also booked for driving with BAC of 0.08 or higher", "Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash help Lakers hold on for 2nd straight win", Breaking News: Lakers Owner Jerry Buss Dying Of Cancer, "Lakers Owner Jerry Buss Dies at Age 80, Leaving Behind "Unparalleled Legacy", "Jill Painter: Lakers lose innovative owner, L.A. loses friend", "Jerry Buss Buried At Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills In Private Ceremony", "LOS ANGELES: Jerry Buss, Lakers' flamboyant owner, dies at 80", "Buss family faces crucial moment with the Lakers", "Lakers expected to remain a Buss family-owned team", "World Series of Poker invites Kobe Bryant as tribute to Jerry Buss", Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Wayland Baptist Women's Teams (19481982), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jerry_Buss&oldid=1145995928, Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees, University of Southern California faculty, Women's National Basketball Association executives, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from August 2022, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2022, Articles with failed verification from May 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 22 March 2023, at 04:43. However, she finally found the confidence to finish the book and publish it after her therapy was over. Guidelines. I was with Jerry West, (a.k.a.) *In the 2004 Finals, Detroit beat L.A. 4-1. He was always there for her whenever she needed him, so she felt like she had lost a significant piece of her life when he died. You walk into the locker room and you see three Hall of Famers on your side, plus one of the best defenders of all time in Michael Cooper, and a great coach, and you cant help but feel that way. You dont know when you make the commitment whats going to happen. He was in the pass, he was in the deflection.

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. Would I have been in this position if my dad didnt own the team? 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. I was just sitting there. The next season, they wanted more of a team, so they called them the Golden Girls, and they had big pom poms. And in the beginning of 2017, a Shakespearean struggle for control of the Lakers became public, with Buss hiring the Hall of Famer Magic Johnson as president of basketball operations and replacing Mitch Kupchak, the longtime general manager, with Bryants agent, Rob Pelinka. 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. Heres what you need to know about Jeanie Buss family: A post shared by Jeanie Buss (@jeaniebuss). Everybody was like, who is this dude? Its unbelievable what he did. Rattling off 10 championships before his passing in 2013. He gave the OK to pursue it. (My decision to stay) was 100 percent Dr. Buss. We were all super excited to see him play, and one of the referees threw him out early on for arguing calls. Download: English | German. Buss was an inaugural member of the USC College Board of Councilors. Hed play his cards. And he would tell me where to go get the information. Slow down. He was very patient and he loved timing things out, but not necessarily rushing to places. [13], Buss was a high-stakes cash game poker player for many years, but later in life was more active in tournament games. was another memorable one, as the team clinched their second successive Magic was perfect for that. He had a home in San Diego, where I live, and we used to go to training camp in Hawaii just about every year, and a couple times we were on the same flight heading over from San Diego. He was a master at dealing with people, a genius businessman, and really just as good with people as he was with business. We all felt very comfortable around him because he treated us all as human beings. Then in his third season owning the team, they ended up calling them the Laker Girls, and established a dance team. 1953[citation needed]), Johnny (b.1956), Jim (b. After the championship in 1980, it was like the rocket just took off. Buss turned the Lakers competitions into occasions. lost his life seven years after Buss. New Jersey was going to draft him at seven, which they did not. We got something new, but we also got something that even if we didnt get Shaquille, we got a draw. Hes already done the math in his head. A scripted comedy series inspired by the Lakers' front office and Buss family is in the works at Netflix from Jeanie Buss and Mindy Kaling. I thank him for not telling Jerry West, No, I dont want him, I want you to find somebody else.. Shes trying to do the same thing her dad did, so thats great. dollars a day. Id never been in a Porsche before. There was purity to that. What was a heavy burden alone can now be shared and aired out. One of the things he said is the most important thing about business is just having patience. One of his favorite comments always used to be, Aint nothin like winning! So thats one of my vivid memories. He and I would sit there drinking rum and cokes, talking about strategy, talking about the game. We knew when we got on that plane and we were going to beat the Celtics in Game 6. And that was pretty special to hear. When Hazzard died in 2011, he was still a Lakers employee. some siblings selling their 11% stake in the team (valued at $3 billion at the The Lazers also played in The Forum. I was just like, Who is this guy? All I knew was he was this kind of eccentric coach of the Bulls, and then he becomes the most important relationship in my life.. He had Hugh Hefner come with all the girls, and then I invited Michael Jackson. He really was. I was there with my wife; wed just gotten married the year before. He left Wyoming to Dr. Buss, many nights after the games where hed come down to the locker room after everybody cleared out. Ultimately we came back and made another offer and Lamar took it. Jerry Buss described his youngest daughter to the Los Angeles Times as the most compassionate of all of my children. US based Meghan and Harry.. FameChain has their amazing trees. said the company owned around 700 properties across California, Arizona, and Id played the whole season with a torn ligament. will go down in history for the outstanding success of the Los Angeles Lakers People that worked in the Forum, his gardeners, people who worked in the parking lot just everyday people. Never embarrassed anybody. So I had the surgery, and one of the first phone calls I got when I got home was from Dr. Buss, just calling to check in on me. Following his death, with Karen Demel{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Karen Demel", "gender": "Female" }, View Jerry Buss's Family Tree and History, Ancestry and Genealogy, Jerry Buss's father is Lydus Buss Jerry Buss's mother is Jessie Buss, Jerry Buss's son is Johnny Buss Jerry Buss's son is Jim Buss Jerry Buss's daughter is Jeanie Buss Jerry Buss's daughter is Janie Buss Jerry Buss's son is Joey Buss Jerry Buss's son is Jesse Buss, Jerry Buss had a relationship with Karen Demel, Jerry Buss had an on-off relationship with Puppi Buss Jerry Buss's former wife is JoAnn Buss. He was so quick. The Lakers are on fire. Charity is really her calling. [3] He was also the co-owner of a real estate investment company called Mariani-Buss Associates with his long-time business partner Frank Mariani. [4] Buss started as a chemist for the Bureau of Mines (now the Mine Safety and Health Administration);[5] he then briefly worked in the aerospace industry and was on the faculty of USC's chemistry department. (Eventually) I became his eyes and ears about college players. Even today, when they talk on ESPN, Greatest Owners in Sport History come on man, thats crazy! Id heard all about the championships in the 1980s, but we werent there yet. We were just sitting there talking, and that was a pretty special moment. Dr. Buss was the perfect owner to play for. Throughout my tenure away from the team, Id send him a note every time they won a championship. 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. Shes so shy that she probably didnt even realize shes a funny person, Sundstedt said. Jeanie has risen to the occasion in her family business, and she has remarkably contributed her quota in the world of sports. Johnny Buss of trying to bust the [Buss family] trust and leave the rest of own 11% each. We took a little bit longer to know each other, but he was great for me and for my family. After moving to Wyoming,

His father, Lydus, Im still not quite sure what possessed him to have me do it that time. It wasnt that I was around Dr. Buss that much that I had to rely on him for something, but when you were around him damn he made you feel good. Nights after the game, hed tease me, because wed go to have dinner at Dan Tanas or somewhere like that, and Id say, I have to go home, we have practice in the morning. And hed say, Thats why I love you. So I played in San Antonio for about 4.5 months and had no idea the Lakers were interested in me. Coincidentally, I went to work out the next morning, and I was looking for gyms out there. Johnny Buss, the Ice Houses new owner and the son of the late legendary Lakers owner Jerry Buss, took the stage midway through the evening to thank attendees for their support. at the story behind the success. In her book, she discusses the difficulties she faced as a young girl after learning that she was an adopted member of a wealthy family. He liked to challenge us. It was an honor to be able to be asked to say some words. They know shes earned it and I mean the earned it part. And here Im trying to be a good employee and be able to inform him, and yet hes informing me of the changes he wanted to make. We talked for about an hour and a half, two hours, and I decided to believe in him, and he believed in me. I was emotionally and mentally exhausted. Hed ask me a lot of questions about how we played, what I thought and so forth. He also taught me how to be a leader and to hire the best people and let them do their jobs. I was happy. Magics family is like this, and here we are winning all these games. trade decisions. Very casual. Like the Lakers, the In June, Netflix announced that it had greenlit a 10-episode series. That was it. Jim Buss Personal Life. He was big on that. The first hour was always just talking and telling stories and visiting. He always treated me very well. It was just a conversation (Dr. Buss) and I had. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor. Jerry West called it the Shaq Diet. We have provided a link on this CD below to Acrobat Reader v.8 installer. That was a big part of growing up for all of us. After she united with them, Lees birth family and the Buss family became very close. Jims father, Jerry, was a businessman, Lee wanted to write her book, but she was also worried about the repercussions that would follow its publication. I felt, eventually, people would come out and see (Kobe) play. After a decade of competitive teams that werent yet contenders, Dr. Buss and Jerry West signed free agent Shaquille ONeal, and traded for teenager Kobe Bryant, in 1996, then eventually brought Phil Jackson in to set up the next run of Lakers championships. Now the Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony was days away, and Bryant was going to be inducted. Never, ever. When Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers back in 1979, he turned a perennial second-place franchise into a pillar of excellence. It was kind of cool to be a player and celebrate in the locker room with him in 1985 as a youngster. Just sit and let the dust settle, and a decision will be evident to you. Its almost like having to put him away again, she said, her voice cracking. After hearing that from him, I decided to just trust him, and just stayed the course. He completely got something that all of us take for granted: athletes love entertainers, and entertainers love athletes. degree in two and a half years in 1955. I remember once getting a math, or maybe I should call it a business lesson. He was a wheeler and dealer. I just think he did a great job with the opportunity that he had, and his vision has really benefitted the game. My family is from the islands, so the West Indies part of his background resonated with me also. He was a very special man to me. In 1988, winning for the second straight year and fulfilling the prophecy of Pat Riley (guaranteeing a repeat) was a special year but that year was so hard. Its about bringing out the best from that person. We had a few. He left the organization in good hands Jeanie is a great owner, too. Stanley Cups before he sold the team to Bruce McNall in 1988. Professionally, The Dwarfs were outstanding contributors who held positions as special assistant, financial advisor, investment banker, ADPAC marketing executive. With his franchise point guard at the helm, Dr. Buss saw to the creation of Showtime, an all-time great sports dynasty that saw the Lakers go to the NBA Finals nine times in 12 years, amassing five championships with their owner front and center. It was nice working for him. I didnt think we were going to get a chance to draft Kobe. out of college was working as a chemist for the Bureau of Mines.

Thats why we got together so much. *In the 2004 Finals, Detroit beat L.A. 4-1. To speak about what Dr. Buss meant to the Lakers and to basketball, to the NBA, period. Heres a look at each of their positions: Johnny Buss, 60, serves as the Lakers executive vice president of corporate development. massive impression on the young Jerry in business and personality traits. In 1985, before we left (L.A. after Game 5), I told the dudes only take one set of clothes. It is. There was a lot of pressure, but Dr. Buss I think took a lot of that pressure off of us. Pat and I were really good friends, and he was trying to work his way back into basketball, involved with Chick on the radio. The whole way, hed keep track on his watch, and we had to get there on the dot at 12:00. My dad had his children, but the Lakers were his baby. I think its because he commanded that respect. Months and a week, actually: She missed her first stand-up showcase at North Hollywoods HaHa Cafe in September 2018 because her day job got in the way. (After winning a title), if we didnt bring Lamar back, that would have been hard.

world when he became the owner of the Los Angeles Strings in 1974. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We were big into collecting basketball cards growing up. It was really vivid and authentic. He was amazing with his connections and who he knew, and now, I just had to put the work in, and I did that. And it all flooded back in that moment.. I sense that youre deferring to these guys a little bit. Back in those days you could actually raise your voice to players and theyd understand. I thought they had a great relationship that seemed to blossom until the day that Dr. Buss passed away. Jerry Buss second son, Jim Buss, also attempted various career paths when growing up. (and pretty much everyone else) were starved of success in the 90s. She overheard her professors discussing her adoption, which she found highly upsetting. But do note that it is not possible to be certain of a person's genealogy without a family's cooperation (and/or DNA testing). The previous 18 months had been heavy for Buss. This is the way owners should operate. Buss left his mother, Jessie, to raise Buss and his three younger siblings. We didnt plan to meet, but after work one time, I stopped at Dan Tanas by myself. Because the Lakers threw everything into the pot, anticipating and hoping to be able to acquire Shaq. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor. commissioner and one of her mentors died after several weeks in a coma. It was one of my finest moments. Buss said that. He knew wed thrive under that pressure. [10] Buss later sold his controlling interest in the Kings to Bruce McNall in 1988 (who made headlines that year by trading for Wayne Gretzky from the Edmonton Oilers), retaining ownership of the Lakers and The Forum. Shes guided the ship the entire time., She said she was really proud of Buss for putting the Lakers first and honoring her fathers wishes. Ive always had her back. during Busss tenure; they made the playoffs most years but never troubled the Joey Buss, 32, is in his sixth season as the D-Fenders president and chief executive. He was also a well-known Coach him. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. If we werent playing well, he would just show up at practice, unannounced, wouldnt say anything. Johnny Buss pursued many different careers in the past. Dr. Buss knew his team needed more wins than losses, but he also knew they needed to entertain. 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. After their fathers death, all her siblings began working for Lakers management. It was amazing how he had it all down. Buss and her other siblings, who were still on board with their fathers He loved to jump on it. He was so cool when he introduced himself, so laid back. She became the first He was a great guy and someone who I really cared about a lot. I remember his comments in the locker room, you can look it up, about removing a certain sentence in the English language. He bought me dinner. Its just him! I think the operative words from Dr. Buss message to Kobe were, Trust me Ive done things in my life, where when I say Im going to work this thing out, trust me, were going to work this thing out. I never envisioned that his trust me would end up with the kind of deal that he pulled off getting Pau. Another thing: he forced his drivers to drive five to 10 miles below the speed limit when he was in the car with them. This significantly impacted Lee for a long time, and she was eager to learn more about her biological parents. He liked to talk hoops. Buss credited Jackson with helping her see the team as individual people and players on and off the court, instead of just seeing them as a unit. Air Leslie! He didnt look at it as, someday this is going to blow up and be this incredibly valued team. And so, I had to trust him. Theyd fax over every scenario they had for Shaq trades. Her act was raw, vulnerable. Gerald Hatten Jerry He was that dude. You wanted to give him a little extra.

That wasnt the brand that Dr. (Jerry) Buss created. He then adopted a son named Jager with his first wife but the couple separated soon after and Jim Buss retained sole custody of the child. Anyone can read what you share. 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. In a 1998 interview, she And Id just played in a rec league game maybe a week prior. Walking all 25 miles of Sunset Boulevard in a day reminded us why we love L.A. Ready to tee off for Masters 2023? When Buss began attending the N.B.A.s Board of Governors meetings for the Lakers in 1995, she was intimidated by some of the glares directed her way. Its opening night for Staples Center: Nov. 3, 1999. And teams like the Spurs were getting guys late in the first round that were contributors. [23], After being hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with an undisclosed form of cancer, he died of kidney failure on February 18, 2013, aged 80. When you hire someone and they meet your qualifications, let them do their job, and go from there. I was a little uptight, and didnt really know what to expect, so my first impression just totally relaxed me. Ms Wanda Bio, Wikipedia, Real Name, Age, Husband and Family, Jann Wenner Children, Ex-Wife, Net Worth And Career Details, Iggy Azalea Boyfriend, Boyfriends List, Son And Facts Related To Her, Le Grand Chef Actor: Joel Papouf Bio, Age & Wife, Is Michael Ford Related To Doug Ford? You understood the genius of this man, because youre dealing with a guy whos just on a different plane.