Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. Buying the Forum, Lakers, Kings and other properties was the largest sports transaction at that time. I think his father was a coal miner, if I remember correctly, and we shared a lot of personal things that you share if you like each other. He was supposed to come out to Orlando. Dr. Buss knew his team needed more wins than losses, but he also knew they needed to entertain. Thats when I got to meet Magics family. A teacher doesnt turn off the student with a tone of voice. And he would tweak a price code by $1.25, or $0.75, and in my mind I know hes going to want to know the gross potential, so Im getting out my calculator, but before I input the numbers, hes already telling me what the gross potential is. Jessie Buss Cause Of Death? He knew the patterns of how often the boats and trains would come, and it was then a challenge to the whole family to make sure it happened and to execute on it properly. Just a great feeling to play for an organization that had a leader like Dr. Buss. It was a long time before the other franchises got wise like that. In the summer of 2007, Kobe Bryant requested a trade from the Lakers. So he asked me and Pat if wed be co-coaches, and I said Id consider it for a month. Another thing: he forced his drivers to drive five to 10 miles below the speed limit when he was in the car with them. And how he conducted business, it was always, hey, Im holding all the cards. Not making quick decisions, rushing into things. 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. He would empower the people that worked for him, and hed be a problem solver. Jerry Buss (Gerald Hatten Buss) was born on 27 January, 1933 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, is a Miscellaneous. All six of his children worked. [5] Son of Lydus Henry Buss and Jessie Mae Buss Space-X continues to reach for the stars. He noticed for a few years that the owner, Jack Kent Cooke, was not attending Laker games. But he wouldnt want us to watch as fans, hed be asking what we thought about specific players, how we thought certain free agents might fit on the team. Lee was born in 1953 and is the first child of Dr. Jerry Buss and JoAnn Mueller. 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. He loved being around the guys. At the very end, wed get to business, and he always had an opinion. Magics mom was a Seventh Day Adventist, and they have similar dietary restrictions as Muslims, and she was aware of my faith, so she would cook for me and take care of me when I was on the road and wed cut through and play in Detroit. A new 10-part docuseries on the family titled Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers details the familys rich history and how Jerry came to own the team. Especially after I retired, we spent time together. I dont wear designer clothes. We all love this sport, basketball, but there are other things to enjoy in life as well, and he certainly enjoyed them all. The only way for us to change was to do something drastic. When he bought the team, there were literally two prices: the downstairs and the upstairs. So in 1987, we win the championship, and I win Defensive Player of the Year. I thought hed go in the top three or four. Not only did Dr. Buss want a dance team to entertain on the court during halftime and quarter breaks, but he also wanted to show that there were talented young ladies who are great brand ambassadors. He was also a country singer who performed at dive bars, among his favorite jobs. Id been with the Blazers for eight years, and almost came to accept the fact that we couldnt beat the Lakers, with Magic and Kareem and Jamaal Wilkes, and then James Worthy and everybody comes in. But we were able to do it together. I was just told that he was having this picnic for employees, and how cool that was. He originally went into real estate investing in order to provide an income so he could continue teaching. And he did. I was emotionally and mentally exhausted. When he bought the Forum, it was called the Forum. Given that the Winning Time season finale takes place in 1980, only Johnny and Jim appear in the episode. The Bryant-Shaquille O'Neal tandem brought three more titles in the early 2000s. And Id just played in a rec league game maybe a week prior. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. He wanted me to be the highest paid assistant in the NBA. He took me to (some parties), and different places, introducing me to people, and it was a great time. When I took over, he and I chatted about getting the girls out in the community because the players werent always able to. All relationship and family history information shown on FameChain has been compiled from data in the public domain. Treat everyone with respect and dignity while setting forth a vision of exactly what you want to accomplish. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. Buss earned a scholarship to the University of Wyoming, graduating with a B.S. Jerry Buss was the son of Connie Buss and Melvin "Red" Buss, who owned the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. It was nice working for him. EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Jerry Buss' children intend on carrying out their father's succession plan for the Los Angeles Lakers following the iconic owner's death Monday. I knew he and Magic were really close. I dont do death very well. 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. Thats pretty good. 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. He put his imprint on the league fast, and then we win the championship too? The Buss siblings have occasionally butted heads in the past, such as with the hiring of coach Mike DAntoni over Phil Jackson, the fiance of one of the Buss children. He was doing it because it was truly his passion. He was just a very good man. And I was really just flabbergasted. 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. That helped motivate you to want to keep doing that. During the Finals in Philly in 2001, we would get cheesesteaks before the games. And then when I came down to Miami, it was a whole new world for me down here. And I know when it was all done, Dr. Buss was just very proud. When he said that on the podium at the Forum, we were just trying to celebrate the previous title, but he knew what he was doing. 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? Jim was later appointed as the Head of Basketball Operations but was removed in 2017 by Jeanie. When Jerry Buss purchased the LA Lakers from former owner Jack Kent Cooke in 1979, he was divorced from his first wife, JoAnn Mueller. He just really capped it off and said what we all were thinking. site map It was in that year when Jerry was able to pull off the most complicated and lucrative transaction in sports history - buying the Lakers. I had always wanted to know, How did you work the deal with Magic to sign him to a 25-year, 25-million-dollar contract? And he gave me how easy it was, how he took this and put it in an annuity somewhere else, and so on. He has been able to do so because he is one of the shrewdest businessmen you will ever meet. I know you may not believe that, but trust me, we do. He always treated me very well. People would say, What about George Steinbrenner? The difference between Steinbrenner, Dr. Buss was loved by everybody. 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. Explore how the celebrity world connects. 12/22/2014 5:31 PM PT. He was the first one who recommended Angels and Demons, before it became a really big hit. Many of those people offered their favorite stories about what made Dr. Buss who he was in advance of Dr. Buss night on Feb. 10, 2020. As business people, our job is to drive a profit, but you do that also by taking care of your customers. Then he won another five championships. You wanted to give him a little extra. He wanted it to be entertainment mixed in with a great team, and he was fortunate enough that he had a great team. Jeanie, Dr. Buss and I spent a lot of time talking about price sensitivity. Hed play his cards. Jerry Buss had an on-off relationship with. I guess it took everyone by surprise, but actually it worked out great for him, great for the Lakers, and he went on to produce some championship teams here in Los Angeles. He revealed that he wasnt very interested in the familys sports ownership business, and his interest further diminished after his fathers death. There was a clause in the contract where the doctor had to give the green light because of my back, to have a contract valid, and Dr. Buss didnt even wait for the doctors. He was just one of those type of guys. His dream was to own the Lakers, my dream was just to be a part of it, and we became part of a team that goes down in history, and then he built another one when he got Shaq and Kobe. Buss graduated from the University of Wyoming with a bachelor's degree. *Jan. 11, 1980: the Lakers won 123-100. It was weird timing, because Kobe was during that time also unhappy and there were stories of him potentially getting traded, or being able to move on from L.A., and then looking for a different situation. It was everything that you would hope for in a new teammate thats going to make a significant contribution to the team. "When you think New York, you think Yankees. Before the championships from 2000-02, as an adolescent, it was very frustrating watching the Lakers lose in the playoffs. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. Then Id add it all up and give a gross potential. He would call me in some days and hed say Hey, hey, be a coach. It would be decades later, at age 34, when Jerry made his first million. but Jerry's family is . He was really a very nice guy who enjoyed the fun things in life. 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. A few times a year, especially if Dr. Buss traveled with the team, wed sit down and hed ask my opinion about certain things with the team, which I really appreciated his confidence in me. He just wanted to assure me that his promises never changed about winning championships, and being patient in the process, waiting for the right piece to come along. When I wanted to get into the theatre business, he was the one who connected me with everybody. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. But I hadnt seen him yet. They watched the game and came out cheering and smiling, and I asked whats happening, and he said, Were getting ice cream! I was excited to have the ice cream thats probably when becoming a Lakers fan began for me. Shaquille and I started to talk over the phone, and we sorta became friends. I got a call from Tim Harris on the morning that Dr. Buss passed away. The Buss family praised Dr. Buss for his "amazing strength and will to live" during an 18-month long battle with cancer and vowed to carry on his "unparalleled legacy" at the helm of the LA Lakers. Therefore, viewers must be curious to find out whether Buss sons ended up working with the LA Lakers. There was a lot of pressure, but Dr. Buss I think took a lot of that pressure off of us. There was purity to that. Most owners are coming in, they have security, they go to their box, they get in and they get out. At the end of the day, it was almost like a perfect puzzle. That was my reaction. The takeaway is that we all have to be good, well-rounded people. Buss also owned other professional sports franchises in Southern California. They wanted him to be happy with them. The team folded in 1989 and the league folded three years later. So I played in San Antonio for about 4.5 months and had no idea the Lakers were interested in me. We werent always making money; it was a passion for him. 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. Theyd grab a card, and hed ask them what their stats were that year. From my standpoint, when I got in, Magic had been in the league for a few years and they were really close. Such a meaningful and historical figure to all of us that who love this game and this League. He made you feel appreciated, and part of the family. After we lost to the Pistons*, we had an organization type of dinner, with all the players and the media in a banquet room. 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. With the Lakers, it was one man. He was a little bit more military stylistic of leadership than Jerry was. In contrast, Buss sons are primarily absent from the narrative for the most part. He focused on the team's marketing, commissioned the Laker Girls, and had movie stars appear in the crowd during games. Rookie owner, rookie player and we did it. Kinda rustic. He realized there was an opportunity there, that perhaps if he could meet with him, he could convince Jack Kent Cooke to sell him the team. I think Dr. Buss always had a plan in life. Not only evidenced by his 10 NBA Championships but also from his sports marketing successes such as creating a regional sports network, establishing the first-ever NBA dance squad, "The Laker Girls," and, of course, designing the VIP row featuring the "Jack Nicholson" seats. Jerry played an important role as owner of the Lakers, ensuring that basketball become more than a sport, but also a spectacle. I said, Were trying to repeat, and I know you love winning championships, and a key piece of that is Lamar Odom. By the time his tenure as the Lakers' owner ended, Buss had overseen 10 total title runs. Success starts at the top. Pat did a great job good basketball mind, and he had the work ethic to achieve that. You have a right to express yourself. He took a drag of his cigarette, and he said, But when you say management thats me. And he didnt say anything after that. He also taught me how to be a leader and to hire the best people and let them do their jobs. How he figured out our monetary system, the Coast Guard, customs, the first inspector general of the Army ridiculous. This is a year after Id left, and I remember we had dinner up on Sunset Boulevard, and Id signed this humongous contract, or at that time it was, and he looked me in the eye and said, Read my lips, do you realize how much money that is? He tried to put things in perspective as to what I was about ready to do in New York, and what they were going to pay me, and that I deserved it, I earned it, everything that Id done in Los Angeles he was proud of, and he was proud that Chris and I could go to New York and start our careers over again there. 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