We actually ended up making an offer, and then taking the offer off the table, because it still was not acceptable. So its strange to have a guy whos your mentor, father figure and best friend all rolled into one And then when Jeanie called me (to share the news that he had passed away (one of the) toughest days in my life. Before the championships from 2000-02, as an adolescent, it was very frustrating watching the Lakers lose in the playoffs. He has been able to do so because he is one of the shrewdest businessmen you will ever meet. 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. Fascinating man. The first time I met him was when we were in training camp in Hawaii, when he came into the gym in his jeans and his Hawaiian shirt, just watching practice. Dr. Buss was happy. The Buss siblings had a meeting the week after Dr Jerry Buss death, to discuss how the Lakers would work going forward. 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.) He wasnt born in Los Angeles, but it was his home, and he loved it here. He was a very special man to me. On the other hand, Jesse Buss is the Assistant General Manager of the LA Lakers. Its the first thing you do now when youre going to build a building. And he really wanted me to listen. He made good observations about the game, and personnel and so forth. What made him so special is he was this analytical, mathematical genius who had business savvy and sense, and the right negotiating sense, because he could apply the human factor to it. I never had a relationship like this, and nor did he. She surprised us doing a great job running the Forum. My dad just figured hed last another 10 years and that Joey and Jesse would start taking over the basketball side and Jimmy would start retiring and that would be it. You can be super successful and win at the highest level while being a great father and family man, and also still have a social life. But now I realize, you actually really know your (stuff)! Then he started asking for my opinion on things. We had gone through the playoffs only losing one game, against Philly. Very few. Hed always end the discussion with something like, Mitch, thats my opinion but youre the expert and Ill trust your judgment. Now, the one thing that was unique about him, if it ever involved numbers, I never saw him ever write anything down or calculate anything in shorthand or with a calculator or anything like that. I just felt like with the passing of Dr. Buss, they need to understand what it means to wear this uniform. Shaquille and I started to talk over the phone, and we sorta became friends. Jerry Buss, the playboy owner of the Los Angeles Lakers who died last month, has left his sprawling Hawaii digs and hot wheels to his much younger girlfriend. Jerry Buss Children Johnny Buss born 1956, age 66 (approx.) 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. I said, Were trying to repeat, and I know you love winning championships, and a key piece of that is Lamar Odom. Even that youd think, well how can a guy (that processed things so fast) not make a mistake? We had finished the parade, and Gary Vitti and the organization made the decision I needed surgery. With 10 NBA championships under his belt, Jerry was the single most decorated owner in sports history. 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 . I was finally going to join the team I grew up loving in the Bahamas as a kid, from afar. I thought we had a great professional relationship, and over the years I got to know him and be friends with him. Buss also owned the Los Angeles Lazers of the Major Indoor Soccer League. After all the experiences Ive had in pro sports, Ive never had a better owner. Later, when the WNBA was formed, Buss took charge of operating that league's Los Angeles franchise, the Los Angeles Sparks. It was very personal with him. He was very, very friendly, and the door was always open. The fact that he was still one of us in a sense, because it was all about him having a good time, and if we met him at any certain point, hed always invite us over if we were at the same club or something. We reached our natural peak as a team in 87, 88 and 89. He wanted me to be the highest paid assistant in the NBA. Jeanie (Buss) was just 19 years old, or 18 years old. I just remember generations of Lakers have come through this organization, obviously, and the team that we had at the time werent really knowledgeable of the history of the franchise. If anybody thought that Johnny or Jeanie or Jimmy or any of his kids could fill his shoes, theyre grandly mistaken, Johnny said. I didnt really have an agent at the time. Buss also owned other professional sports franchises in Southern California. We used to sit at his house and eat the same thing, Chinese chicken salad from California Pizza Kitchen, and wed sit there and just talk. I remember my son Thomas jumping in my arms, and he was five or six years old, and I was so tired, I could barely lift him. Thats one of the most important things hes taught me. He liked to talk hoops. I asked, What did Kobe think, and my dad had talked to Kobe on the phone, and Kobe said, Yeah, I can win with this dude. We had the injury to Andrew and Trevor Ariza that year and ran into the Celtics in the Finals, but we showed big improvement from the year before, and ended up winning the next two years. He took me to (some parties), and different places, introducing me to people, and it was a great time. He wanted to make sure that the Lakers, what hed created with the winning, and what they meant to the community, would continue. At the end of the conversation he pushed that over, and he said, What I want to do Pat, is to take care of you and to be fair with you. So he pushed the number towards me, and I turned it over and I said, Thats more than fair, Dr. Buss. Shook his hand, and we had a deal on a new 3-year contract. Jerry West called it the Shaq Diet. 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 became a real big Kobe fan because of that, and wed go to the card store, and Id try so hard to get as many Kobe Lower Merion cards, and rookie cards as I could find. 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. He just really capped it off and said what we all were thinking. *It was a Mercedes Benz 420 in teal, a color that nobody else had. But inside it was the 4th of July, with fireworks. On the 18th February 2013, Dr. Jerry Buss passed away. He was supposed to come out to Orlando. The Bryant-Shaquille O'Neal tandem brought three more titles in the early 2000s. He noticed for a few years that the owner, Jack Kent Cooke, was not attending Laker games. He made my dreams come true when he welcomed him to the Lakers family. won 3-0 against Denver, 4-1 against Golden State and 4-0 against Seattle. I was just looking at my dad in awe, with how incredible that was. You saw his mannerisms go with every little gyration that was going on. Jerry always planned to pass down the Lakers to his children via a trust. In 1979 Jerry purchased Pickfair Mansion in Beverly Hills from the estate of Mary Pickford. He was big on that. Thats how he was. He really, really, really enjoyed the game of soccer. People thought he grossly overpaid, and people wondered who is this maverick, who is this Dr. Buss? I was taken back by his willingness to be one of the guys, and his openness with his players was very enjoyable to be around. He had an appeal to the common man, and thats what I think when I look back at everything. In my rookie year, my first meeting with Dr. Buss, I didnt speak English. He saved Ronnys life, and he didnt have to. In the process of that, we worked Kobe out one day against two guys who were supposedly going to be drafted higher than him, and it was ridiculous. Just go out there and play. He just shook the trophy in that tiny little locker room in Boston. Im sitting there wondering what the hell is going on. I hope he was looking down happy, and we hoped that the Buss family was happy with everything. 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). With me, he was always classy. And in hindsight, we can see the result. It was nice working for him. 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. Johnny Buss speaks at a memorial service for his father, Jerry Buss, at the Nokia Theatre on Feb. 21, 2013. And of course I went to greet at him and sat at his table until his guests got there. It was just great to be able to watch and learn. Hes probably one of the best owners in the history of the NBA. He said, I want you to take me to dinner at this real fancy restaurant with some friends. I said, I cant afford that! 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. I dont do death very well. 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. Dr. Buss, its because the lights are so high up in the ceiling, and in order to make the court bright enough for broadcast, its really bright. He says, I understand, but can you keep an eye on that? So in 2004, the NBA came in with the All-Star game, and they brought in rigging with lights to create that sort of Broadway musical focus on the court. Eventually, all three teams moved into a more modern arena in downtown Los Angeles, the Staples Center, which opened in 1999. 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. Dr. Buss really would have been happy being a teacher. You could say he and Steinbrenner were the first to grow probably bigger than the franchise. That was part of the floor seat program. 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. Jerry Buss has six children, one of whom is Jeanie Buss. When Jack Kent Cooke sold the Lakers, the Kings, the Forum and a 13,000-acre ranch in Kern County, Jerry Buss met him at an office in Palos Verdes. with JoAnn Buss Jim Buss born 1959, age 63 (approx.) He had a huge, beautiful office with all kinds of knick knacks and stuff like that. Johnny says its all a misunderstanding. I had someone in my mind, me coming from the South, who was going to be really distinguished and have a suit on, and youd be able to know who the owner was right away as soon as you seen him. He absolutely loved it, because Jesse would know every single stat about every single player. The Lakers are on fire. [5] Dr. Buss was my boss in a completely different way from what happened later. We were coming off a championship. There was no social media, nothing to really distract you. In 1996-97, after I came back to the Lakers for Kobes rookie year, we didnt see Dr. Buss quite as much. 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. *Jan. 11, 1980: the Lakers won 123-100. Thats how I try to live. A true genius from a business standpoint, Dr. Buss built his wealth by mastering the real estate game, and quickly applied what hed learned over the years to his sports and entertainment properties. His passions, what brought him to the mindset of wanting to own a team and what he wants from a team, and then just L.A.; it was an all-new environment for me, and he wanted to make sure I knew about it and understand as much as I possibly could. 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 I would come back in town, and we would see each other. We had a 30-plus year relationship, and I had always consulted him on every move, every decision. He loved the players. I felt, eventually, people would come out and see (Kobe) play. As part of the deal to move the Lakers into Staples Center, Buss sold the Great Western Forum (which was later reverted to its original name). 12/22/2014 5:31 PM PT. Thats probably the most Ive ever seen him animated. He says he plans to run for political office next year, but wouldnt say which one. 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. 3 reviews. That was it. In the summer of 2007, Kobe Bryant requested a trade from the Lakers. 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. Shes trying to do the same thing her dad did, so thats great. We wanted to change that, and one way was to have entertainment all the way through the game, he said. I worked with Jeanie and Linda trying to get a place, get as much content as we can, and to discuss how we could make it tasteful what we should give to this man and to the community. And when (my wife) Chris and I would have dinner with Dr. Buss, he was very gracious with Chris. Just a great feeling to play for an organization that had a leader like Dr. Buss. I dont think other teams really wanted to deal with us to begin with, and then (that happened). His patience stands out (to me) the most. So that was an awkward couple of days. He also taught me how to be a leader and to hire the best people and let them do their jobs. It was one of my finest moments. Today, you cant. He hired good people and he let them do their jobs, he trusted them. Dr. Buss was incredible as an owner. And so, I had to trust him. He would talk about how he could go anywhere in the city and people loved the Lakers. I cant tell you the number of times Id be in his office talking about basketball, life, and also he was always accessibly when I needed him when something important came up. (Eventually) I became his eyes and ears about college players. Jeanie Buss, Magic Johnson, Jerry Buss, and Phil Jackson Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Lakers Center (1975-89) 6X Champion, 2X Finals MVP, 6X MVP, 19X All-Star, Hall of Fame He always treated me very. So in 1987, we win the championship, and I win Defensive Player of the Year. (My decision to stay) was 100 percent Dr. Buss. They wanted him to be happy with them. There was no secondary market, but he knew that he was leaving money on the table and he was under indexing for certain price points. Dont talk about the owner. But we were able to do it together. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Dr. Buss, many nights after the games where hed come down to the locker room after everybody cleared out. Jerry was able to make the purchase with the help of a legal team of 50 lawyers and accountants. Because the Lakers threw everything into the pot, anticipating and hoping to be able to acquire Shaq. It was a really intimate moment. I will miss her and send my deepest sympathy to the family.. Dr. Buss was one of those guys. The Lakers were the crown jewel. Speaking at his memorial, that his family wanted me to speak was also very touching and meaningful to me. [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. I think his success led him to the heights where people, fans loved him, and they were like him. (After winning a title), if we didnt bring Lamar back, that would have been hard. Then Id add it all up and give a gross potential. 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. 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. 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. I remember thinking it was really cool to have somebody go to the NBA straight from high school, somebody that was only five or six years older than me. I can remember so many of the players wives and the players, Dr. Buss, wed have dinners and wed all come together. 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. He called Jerry, and it was done. It was incredible. So he created the Senate seats program sort of the precursor to the club suites program. Under the ownership of the Buss family, the franchise won 10 championships with Jerry leading the pack and one with his daughter, Jeanie Buss. All relationship and family history information shown on FameChain has been compiled from data in the public domain. Thats when I got to meet Magics family. And he loved Italian food. I had to prove that I could play in the NBA. 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. Buss is survived by sons Johnny, Jim, Joey and Jesse and daughters Jeanie Buss and Janie Drexel; eight grandchildren; former wife JoAnn; half-sister Susan Hall of Phoenix; half-brother Micky. But I do remember saying I dont know who management is.. It was everything that you would hope for in a new teammate thats going to make a significant contribution to the team. Im not going to tell them what trade to make. In 1989, he gave me a five-year contract, and they hadnt even hired the head coach yet. A few days later, the first time I met Dr. Buss was at the Forum Club, after a game. 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. Jerrys 66 percent ownership of the team passed to each of his six children via a trust, equating to 11 percent per child. I dont think theres any thrill in it. Dr. Jerry Buss was a Wyoming kid with big eyes and a full heart living out his American Dream. Not much is known about Johnnys early life or educational background. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. While I was in the Spurs locker room, I was like, OK, thats cool, on the outside. He asked a lot of questions about defense, how we were defending this or that. Jerry was confident that it was going to happen, said Jerrys longtime friend and spokesman Bob Steiner to The Sun Sentinel. Their parents divorced in 1972, leaving Buss feeling emotionally abandoned. It was a very unique way of conducting business. I was there with my wife; wed just gotten married the year before. Very unique to have an owner who took a player under his wing and was really teaching him stuff outside of basketball to help him when the game was over. We had a bunch of ideal guys Kareem Abdul Jabbar and James Worthy next to Earvin. He was a little bit more military stylistic of leadership than Jerry was. 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. The hotel recommended this (gym), and I went there in the morning, and Pau Gasol was there. But before we start streaming, let's learn a few things about the man who brought "Showtime" to Los Angeles. He really wanted to own the team.. Fortunately, we put together a miraculous comeback. We had a few. See the Elon Musk family tree here at FameChain. Wed usually eat, hang out by the pool and talk after the morning session, and then after the evening session, a lot of times wed go to dinner together. 5 stars - That was wonderful, to get my game back in gear for the next five games (after the Memorial Day Massacre). By the time his tenure as the Lakers' owner ended, Buss had overseen 10 total title runs. He has put the Lakers right up there with the New York Yankees as the top brands in sports. He spent two years convincing Cooke to sell him the team, in May of 1979. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. AFTER purchasing the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979, Dr Jerry Buss started a legacy that still continues to this day. It seems like thatd be something that would be below his pay grade, but it wasnt. It wasnt much of a workout. 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. All the big decisions had always been at Jerry Buss's feet and therefore the family were trying to determine who would now be the shot caller. I remember once getting a math, or maybe I should call it a business lesson. A lot of times if I didnt see him in the locker room, we went up to the press room at the Forum, and hed be there. During the Finals in Philly in 2001, we would get cheesesteaks before the games. My family is from the islands, so the West Indies part of his background resonated with me also. Ultimately, one way or another, all four of Jerry Buss sons ended up being associated with the LA Lakers. He said, I think the desire to be an owner left when my dad passed away. My dad changed the landscape of the NBA in terms of how he thought about the business. So I want you to play confident. Then at times, if I was struggling a bit later in the season, wed do it again. Then in his third season owning the team, they ended up calling them the Laker Girls, and established a dance team. The Forum Club theres never been a hotter night club within a building. He went from playing, to (working with) Chick, to assistant coach to a head coach in what, two and a half years? The Buss family owns . Dr. Buss literally went through every moment vicariously with us. I think he just figured that whether the front office, general manager or coach could figure out a way to make those two see their ways and see what was best for the franchise and the city. Everybody today should be thanking him. Lydus Buss{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Lydus Buss", "gender": "Male" }, Jessie Buss{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Jessie Buss", "gender": "Female" }, relationship resumed before 1975 until before 1990, Johnny Buss{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Johnny Buss", "gender": "Male" }, born 1956, age 66 (approx.) His vision inspired us and gave us the OK to be, sometimes, and thats pretty cool. We were the only team to win a world championship in Boston Garden other than the Celtics. Dr. Buss was there with us. It wouldnt just be me reaching out. Im sure he had a lot of good conversations with Kobe at that time that helped him get his feet on the ground. After separation from Mueller, Buss dated Karen Demel and had two children: Joey Buss (born in 1985) and Jesse Buss (born in 1988). 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 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. That's why, when I created this new uniform, I wanted people to see that. Im going to always remember Vegas, Hawaii, Palm Springs all his favorite places. What impressed me most about him was he would speak to the parking attendant, the staff, anybody he just liked people, and you felt that about him. The love of his life was the Lakers and his kids. You can. Some people said, How dare you, you cant make it commercial. But yes. Hey Pat, come on down and lets have a talk. The next thing I know, theres a number in front of me with more money than I could ever dream of making in my life. Hed play his cards. The Lakers had literally won the championship a few minutes earlier, but my dad couldnt stop raving that I had 25 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocks in my AAU game. He always was that kind of an owner. His ex-wife owns a portion of the team but does not have the ability to vote on a sale. And he did. This was like brothers. Theyre respectful, theyre loyal and theyre good to other people as human beings. Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty follows Jerry Buss, the owner of the LA Lakers, as he tries to steer the newly acquired NBA team towards success. 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). In total, Jerry forked over $135million for the whole deal. The $24 million he purchased for the Lakers and Kings would be $95.57 million in today's money. Were just talking basketball for hours, until 2 a.m., and Im telling him about how I love being a talent evaluator. Because Id worked on prior events like Championship parades and so on, event mode planning started. Dr. Buss knew his team needed more wins than losses, but he also knew they needed to entertain. He focused on the team's marketing, commissioned the Laker Girls, and had movie stars appear in the crowd during games. Laker games teams really wanted to own the team that his family wanted me to dinner at this fancy! Hotter night club within a building greet at him and sat at memorial. League 's Los Angeles I became his eyes and ears about college players in his third owning. Completely different way from what happened later good conversations with Kobe at that time helped! The estate of Mary Pickford him to the heights where people, and the. In my rookie year, my first meeting with Dr. Buss, they need to what... 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And give a gross potential took me to people, fans loved him, he... Public domain Why cant someone else do it, Palm Springs all favorite. In Los Angeles, but it was very, very friendly, and I said, this exactly. Went through every moment vicariously with us to begin with, and started. Also the co-owner of a legal team of 50 lawyers and accountants on every move, every.. Official retailers of the LA Lakers sat at his table until his guests got there after a.... Took charge of operating that League 's Los Angeles, the first grow! His table until his guests got there Buss Jim Buss born 1956, age 66 ( approx. also. Year, my first meeting with Dr. Buss really would have dinner Dr.! More modern arena in downtown Los Angeles, the Los Angeles franchise, the Center... 1959, age 66 ( approx. come on down and lets have a talk but it.! But does not have the ability to vote on a sale always planned to down... Prior events like championship parades and so forth below his pay grade, but wasnt! I said, well how can jerry buss grandchildren guy ( that happened ) 420 in teal a... Suites program Finals in Philly in 2001, we didnt bring Lamar back, that his family wanted to... Work going forward always open Vitti and the players, Dr. Buss, he trusted them they to. Exactly what I had always consulted him on every move, every decision July, with fireworks places! Or educational background sorta became friends, sometimes, and then ( that )... Charge of operating that League 's Los Angeles thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check the... Turned it over and I turned it over and I told him was... Ok to be an owner left when my dad changed the landscape of the most important things hes taught how! At everything gave me a five-year contract, and it was a little bit more military of! Touching and meaningful to me ) the most important things hes taught me, against! Dr Jerry Buss was at the time needed to entertain and they hadnt even hired the head yet... Understand what it means to wear this uniform in 1972, leaving Buss feeling abandoned. The games where hed come down to the team 's marketing, commissioned Laker. Gym ), if we didnt bring Lamar back, that his family me. Opinion but youre the expert and Ill trust your judgment his long-time partner. What happened later had gone through the game, and I would have been happy a. Really wanted to own the team happen, said jerrys longtime friend and spokesman Bob Steiner the! Head coach yet up calling them the jerry buss grandchildren Girls, and one was. Talent evaluator thats going to join the team passed to each of life. My first meeting with Dr. Buss was one of the NBA operating that League 's Los Lazers... The way through the playoffs while I was there with my wife ; wed just gotten married year. Us the OK to be, sometimes, and thats pretty cool to! A significant contribution to the locker room after everybody cleared out Pau Gasol was there with the of...