When Jerry Buss purchased the LA Lakers from former owner Jack Kent Cooke in 1979, he was divorced from his first wife, JoAnn Mueller. [3][15][16] Their oldest child, Lee, was put up for adoption shortly after birth. restaurant in the Forum into a nightclub, bringing glitz, glamour, and celebrities Dr. Buss created that. He went from playing, to (working with) Chick, to assistant coach to a head coach in what, two and a half years? I think he knew, with me being 20 and alone all the way from Michigan, he became a father figure to me. Daniel's 5th outing as Bond gets bums back on seats in the cinema. I got a call from Tim Harris on the morning that Dr. Buss passed away. Their parents divorced in 1972, leaving her feeling emotionally abandoned. At his death in 2013, six out of seven of his children worked in the Lakers organization. Buss owned other professional sports franchises in Southern California. "Everybody that we asked to participate agreed to be interviewed, and . 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 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). After failing a field sobriety test, Buss was taken into custody, given a blood test, and booked on suspicion of driving while intoxicated with a blood-alcohol level over 0.08. Formerly, he was a well-known employee of Rooster Teeth Productions and the former 3rd Primary host of its subsidiary gameplay division Achievement Hunter. 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. It was everything that you would hope for in a new teammate thats going to make a significant contribution to the team. some siblings selling their 11% stake in the team (valued at $3 billion at the Daniel's 5th outing as Bond gets bums back on seats in the cinema. 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 Hall of Phoenix; half brother Micky Brown of Scottsdale; and stepbrother Jim Brown of Star Valley, Wyoming. Ultimately, one way or another, all four of Jerry Buss sons ended up being associated with the LA Lakers. He owns The Ice House, a comedy club in Pasadena, California, and has also shown interest in politics. stars and celebrities. His two things he was mainly focused on was winning championships, getting the Lakers back to that level, and being a family man, being a father to his children. She said, So as February approached, and the trade deadline, I was worried that my brother was going to make trades that would put us further down and take even longer to recover from, so I had to swiftly make a decision., A post shared by Jeanie Buss (@jeaniebuss). 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. You look at them like father figures. I remember wed just won the championship against the Pacers, and he took us down on the floor. It was a very unique way of conducting business. We had a few. Finally, during the draft, Charlotte took him, and we were able to acquire Kobes rights. 754 2 minutes read. New Jersey was going to draft him at seven, which they did not. He created new revenue streams; thats why everybody has a club now. The love of his life was the Lakers and his kids. colleagues also commented on Busss personality and generosity in their Casino.org is the worlds leading independent online gaming authority, providing trusted I miss him a lot. It was estimated his Similarly, to continue his education, he moved back to Los Angeles and joined the University of Southern California (USC). is incalculable and will be felt for decades to come.. Im not going to tell them what trade to make. While still very much involved with the Lakers, Dr. Buss continued to rely on Mitch Kupchak, Phil Jackson, Jim Buss, Jeanie Buss and Magic Johnson as the Lakers built back up from the Kobe-Shaq years into the Kobe-Pau Gasol-Lamar Odom years. Eventually, all three teams moved into a more modern arena in downtown Los Angeles, the Staples Center, which opened in 1999. 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. Dr. Buss is walking around, hes in the (various) rooms, hes hanging out, talking to people, shaking hands. My family is from the islands, so the West Indies part of his background resonated with me also. It really became overwhelming to see just how much he put into seeing every single little detail of that trade. But I always had a relationship with Dr. Buss, even after that. Thats probably the most Ive ever seen him animated. . I think that was the only ring that he wore, when we beat Boston the first time. Professionally, The Dwarfs were outstanding contributors who held positions as special assistant, financial advisor, investment banker, ADPAC marketing executive. Very happy.*L.A. It was a ritual. It didnt just happen. I thought he was kidding. Just go out there and play. brother, Jim, as Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations in 2017, He was a little bit more military stylistic of leadership than Jerry was. Thats why we got together so much. But one things I remember that stood out to me, as nice as Dr. Buss was, he was really a good owner but he looked at me and said, Look, I understand youre upset. And there were always all these hours spent talking basketball, and him trying to prep me for a bigger role. [2] Buss earned a scholarship to the University of Wyoming,[3] graduating with a BS degree in two and a half years in 1953. 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. The first time I met Dr. Buss was my second time coming to Los Angeles after I was drafted in 1979, because the first time, Jack Kent Cooke and Jerry West and Chick Hearn were the guys I met. Fascinating man. 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. 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. match and be entertained because Buss had a vision that sports should give an They traded for the We cant let him go. And he said, I know Earvin. After Jerrys death, Jeanie became the president of the Lakers. 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. He would surprise you. left his mother, Jessie, to raise Buss and his three younger siblings. He was always like that. 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. Buying the Forum, Lakers, Kings and other properties was the largest sports transaction at that time. revolutionized basketball in terms of entertainment too. With Dr. Buss, Im sure he would have loved for the two of them and the team to be able to coexist a little longer and maybe get another title or two, but he let it play out. I thank him for not telling Jerry West, No, I dont want him, I want you to find somebody else.. I didnt really have an agent at the time. Following some hefty Dr. Buss actually started in his first season, 1979-80, with a combination of USC and UCLA pom girls, and the USC band. Read More: Where is Jerry Buss Daughter Jeanie Buss Now? After his academics, Jerry began working as a chemist for the Bureau of Mines then at the aerospace industry on the faculty of USCs chemistry department. In any industry, when your boss says youre doing a good job, thats what you want to hear. Jerry West called it the Shaq Diet. And then 25 years later, to be able to celebrate at a different stage in my life with him again (2010). 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. So before I leave, he gives me an envelope, and he says, Give this to the person thats down there. So I go down there and give it to them, and there are six cars lined up there. Coach him! We were out there on family vacation, and (Dr. Buss) was in Italy, and he hopped a plane to come sit with me. 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. Buss became the third Laker to enter the Hall as a contributor, alongside Chick Hearn and Pete Newell. I never had a relationship like this, and nor did he. He was in Hawaii at that time, and I called him. He was a first-time owner. Dr. Buss left a lasting legacy, expressed through those that were close to him. We took a little bit longer to know each other, but he was great for me and for my family. [20], In 2012, Buss was in a hospital for months with an undisclosed intestinal problem. Jessie Buss Cause Of Death? He took me to (some parties), and different places, introducing me to people, and it was a great time. I didnt have firsthand memories of winning a championship, and felt like wed never get one, because it seemed so hard. People thought it meant you had to have a superstar, but it really wasnt about that, it was about the winning, and then people would see the superstars because we were winning. Jerry West Lakers General Manager (1982-2002), 6X Champion Lakers Guard (1960-74) NBA Champion, Finals MVP, 14X All-Star, Hall of Fame When he bought the team, it was more like a dream come true. It was just really cool. The thing he taught me the best is that he maximized his days. 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. D in physical chemistry from the University of Southern California. From then on, I was at his house every weekend during the season, it seemed like. You understood the genius of this man, because youre dealing with a guy whos just on a different plane. time) and preventing Jeanie from continuing as the controlling owner of the Wed go out to different musicals and shows and dinners with my dad. That was one of his favorite things he started doing later on, because before, he was doing Hawaii for a month. Ultimately we came back and made another offer and Lamar took it. 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. He always was that kind of an owner. Dr. Buss was someone who really cared about other people, and I think that same tradition of loyalty of friendship has filtered down to his children. [2], Buss' marriage to the former JoAnn Mueller ended in divorce in 1972 after having five children: Lee (b. He was that dude. It started with Dr. Buss, and we were all upset about 1984. El SEGUNDO - Dr. Jerry Buss, longtime owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, passed away on Monday, February 18th after a long illness. He said, Oh yeah, thats my building! and I said, Well, thats great, maybe I can get free rent or something like that! But I do remember that there was this zest and this absolute excitement and enthusiasm that he had when he bought the Lakers and he became the owner. Success starts at the top. online casino news, guides, reviews and information since 1995. Moreover, he also became an inaugural member of the USC College Board of Councilors.
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