Johnny, Jim, Jeanie, and Janie with his wife JoAnn Mueller (divorced in 1972), and Joey and Jesse with his girlfriend Karen Demel. Then he was doing Italy for the whole summer. It was probably the only time I felt really stressed with the Lakers. We talked for about an hour and a half, two hours, and I decided to believe in him, and he believed in me. It was too good to be true. If it wasnt for Dr. Buss, thered be no Jerry Jones. He was going to build a championship team no matter what it takes. Thats how I try to live. Jerry West called it the Shaq Diet. Id never been in a Porsche before. He revealed that he wasnt very interested in the familys sports ownership business, and his interest further diminished after his fathers 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. It really became overwhelming to see just how much he put into seeing every single little detail of that trade. He bought me dinner. Magic Johnson had to retire early, sooner than we thought, and the team stayed competitive through the early and mid 90s, but my dad really, really wanted to get back to the winning ways. New Jersey was going to draft him at seven, which they did not. And then they walked me back over and said, Heres Dr. Buss. Coming from Tobacco Road, North Carolina, I was like, Damn, this is a cool dude! I couldnt believe he was just down to earth. But Buss was wise to plan early for the team and make his wishes specific and legally binding. Today, you cant. It was a father/son environment. 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. So, we were preparing for the offseason in 1996 when we signed Shaq and traded for the rights to draft Kobe. But I have to do it.. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Jerry Busss other two sons, Joey and Jesse, are also a part of the LA Lakers operations. He was like a rebel, but in a good sense. The 10-part documentary series, which is set to premiere with two episodes on Monday, Aug. 15, will detail the rise of the Lakers after Buss' purchase of the franchise. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. Before that, I remember my dad telling me about this workout for an up-and-coming high school kid, and how Jerry West told him that he was going to be this special player. I think his success led him to the heights where people, fans loved him, and they were like him. It was a really intimate moment. The first hour was always just talking and telling stories and visiting. He was always like that. Obviously, Kobe was able to do that with the help of the franchise. All those times we were together, I shared with him, I wanted to be more than just a basketball player. Smiled and laughed, drank champagne and went to the White House. 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. It wasnt even close. He was just one of those type of guys. with Karen Demel It came down to Game 7 at Staples Center, and halfway through the game I felt very defeated. Jeanie, Dr. Buss and I spent a lot of time talking about price sensitivity. Make sure relatives of Betty Jean Buss know they have sympathy messages here. Later on, Dancing Barry. It was amazing how he had it all down. 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. He was that dude. 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. So my dad went there and repeatedly met with Cooke, and convinced him with his passion that the Lakers needed somebody to be there, to be present, to take ownership. An ensuing lawsuit split the family. The Lazers also played in The Forum. We always knew he was the boss, dont get me wrong, and we knew if he wasnt pleased with how we were playing, but he was such a good guy that you really wanted to give that little extra. Well, at that time, Jack Kent Cooke was going through a divorce, and he moved to Nevada to establish residency in order to process his divorce as a citizen of Nevada, which had different settlement laws. 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. That was a big thing for both of us. The . He was a master at dealing with people, a genius businessman, and really just as good with people as he was with business. Now, after a public legal fight that split the siblings, Johnny is even more ready to move on. On the other hand, Jesse Buss is the Assistant General Manager of the LA Lakers. He didnt walk around with a big hammer. Upon his fathers death in 2013, that interest waned even more. It was really important when I gave that speech not just to honor his memory and his legacy, but to also make sure we honor him in a way that we carry his legacy moving forward. He basically created premium seating, and nobody else was doing this stuff at the time. After about 40 minutes, I said, Weve seen enough. But it was really through (his agent Arn Tellum) and the Bryant family, that (teams passed on him). In 1979 Jerry purchased Pickfair Mansion in Beverly Hills from the estate of Mary Pickford. He wanted it to be entertainment mixed in with a great team, and he was fortunate enough that he had a great team. 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. He was a very special man to me. I remember being in the Finals against Philadelphia, and we were at the hotel bar of the team hotel. Id never encountered somebody with that type of money and power to be so easy to talk to. Create a franchise that was worth billions., Follow Tania Ganguli on Twitter @taniaganguli. (Eventually) I became his eyes and ears about college players. He inspired the Lakers' Showtime era with his vision that basketball games must be entertaining. It doesnt mean you can always win every year, but you have to give them something that theyre proud of and that they can connect to. He wasnt born in Los Angeles, but it was his home, and he loved it here. He made sure they had the kind of food I wanted, and he was really attentive to the little details to make sure it was a comfortable environment to me. His daughter, Jeanie, took over the Lakers in March 2017. And Kobe was going to be one of them, we thought. Theyd grab a card, and hed ask them what their stats were that year. In 1979, Buss bought the Lakers, the NHL's Kings and The Forum, where the Lakers and Kings played their games, from Cooke in exchange for $67.5 million, the Chrysler Building and other properties. Wed come up with Steve Blake and Matt Barnes, and my dad was fully supportive of it, and cleared it with Mitch and Jim, and we ended up signing them. So Jerry picked me up at the airport in his 944 Porsche. 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. She became the Lakers governor in 2014 after her father's death and is now the representative of the team on the NBA board of governors. Dr. Buss will always be forever in my heart. It was an honor to be able to be asked to say some words. He would surprise you. We didnt have 10 people doing it. Its one thing from your colleagues, its another when its your boss. Id played the whole season with a torn ligament. Under the ownership of the Buss family, the franchise won 10 championships with Jerry leading the pack and one with his daughter, Jeanie Buss. Dont talk about the owner. From online or printed sources and from publicly accessible databases. He was thinking of Kobe. I think thats important in this day and age, when people are talking about dance teams, but he really saw it as these talented dancers deserve an audience, and now every team in the NBA has a dance team. He also served as the President of the Los Angeles Lazers, a professional indoor soccer team, and the Los Angeles Sparks, a professional womens basketball team. Source: Los Angeles Times, Lakers expected to remain a Buss family-owned team, Mike Bresnahan, Feb. 19, 2013. Or to USC football games. So a sports writer for the Los Angeles Herald named Frank Grady, he got ahold of me, and I was really still upset and emotional and I just went ballistic. Then due to (certain circumstances), Jerry wanted us to be co-coaches. He was an incredibly visionary. But Wrigley was also the name of the family who owned the team, and also the name of their chewing gum, Wrigleys Spearmint Gum. When we made the decision to move to Staples Center, we had to price the building. 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. He said, I want you to take me to dinner at this real fancy restaurant with some friends. I said, I cant afford that! Jerry's 66 percent ownership of the team passed to each of his six children via a trust, equating to 11 percent per child. With me, he was always classy. We had something to talk about immediately, and he was flattered to know that I was aware. Buss became an owner in World Team Tennis, the Los Angeles Strings. 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. [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. So I came to this park, and I was with Jerry West and somebody from the Lakers front office, and I got disconnected from my hosts. Everyone is tight. The Lakers were the crown jewel. He saved Ronnys life, and he didnt have to. His vision really helped make these moments possible. In a limousine outside the office that day in . I saw how he would be able to rebuild a team quickly to get back to contender status. He then reached a major advertising agreement with Great Western Bank for the naming rights to The Forum, resulting in the official name of the building being changed to the Great Western Forum. 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. The one (free agent) that was really the star on top of the Christmas tree was Shaquille ONeal. 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. It didnt have naming rights like Staples Center. Joey Buss accepts the Larry O'Brien Trophy from David Stern, Jeanie Buss, Magic Johnson, Dr. Jerry Buss, and Phil Jackson. Well before his passing on Feb. 2013 at the age of 80, the Lakers' former longtime owner Jerry Buss had set up the family trust for his children, Jeanie, Jim, Johnny, Joey, Jesse and Janie.. This franchise and that franchise, and we got em. I even wrote a paper when I was in seventh grade about how Kobe was going to be a future Hall of Fame player, and that the combination of Shaq and Kobe was going to be one of the best duos of all time. In 2012, Buss was in a hospital for months with an undisclosed intestinal problem. Their parents divorced in 1972, leaving Buss feeling emotionally abandoned. Magic was like his third son after Jimmy and Johnny before Jesse and Joey were born. Jessie Buss Cause Of Death? He was so cool when he introduced himself, so laid back. After Jerry's death, his children took up various roles within the organization, with Jeanie Buss ultimately becoming the president and controlling owner of the Lakers.She was only 17 when her father bought the team, and she held various managerial roles over the years, with the team winning the title in 2020. He ran the WNBAs Los Angeles Sparks while the family still owned the team. Later on in the day, Dr. Buss was having a picnic for all his employees. Youre going too fast. Never talked down to people. The team folded in 1989 and the league folded three years later. Geni requires JavaScript! Because when the Lakers were playing, the men got the stage and the platform. I went there in the morning, and it was rare, because Pau never wakes up in the morning to work out! He wanted everybody to be together, and he was right in the middle of us. 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. Jeanie Buss, the teams governor and controlling owner has made clear the Lakers are not for sale. He made my dreams come true when he welcomed him to the Lakers family. He just shook the trophy in that tiny little locker room in Boston. Today, it's about celebrating his life, his contributions to the city of LA and his inimitable. Thats one thing different about Dr. Buss different from owners back in the day he was a celebrity too. 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. That was the plan that I understood.. 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. The NBA lost a great man. After separation from Mueller, Buss dated Karen Demel and had two children: Joey Buss (born in 1985) and Jesse Buss (born in 1988). You understood the genius of this man, because youre dealing with a guy whos just on a different plane. A teacher doesnt turn off the student with a tone of voice. It was a nice event, because hed ask every player and every coach to say a few words, and it was a nice atmosphere. 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. I asked him, How could you go up there and do that? He said, I just did it. I said, But youre so good at it! Hes like, I hate it! Ten titles. He wanted to make sure that the Lakers, what hed created with the winning, and what they meant to the community, would continue. We had growth within our own team, like Andrew Bynum, to go with Kobe and Lamar. Sports ownership. We never had any problems to talk about, except for any games that we might lose. In any industry, when your boss says youre doing a good job, thats what you want to hear. Dr. Jerry Buss's professional success and his reputation as a playboy have been well documented over the years, yet little is known about the Buss family. I do remember after we won that year, on the night of Game 7, and looking in Dr. Busss eyes as he was being presented the trophy. He and I would sit there drinking rum and cokes, talking about strategy, talking about the game. I understood him, because he was a man that loved to have fun, but he was also very competitive at everything. Thats the affirmation you really want. And I offered Vlade Divac to everyone, a starting center. Very genuine, honest guy, and I respected him a lot. 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). Ultimately, one way or another, all four of Jerry Buss sons ended up being associated with the LA Lakers. That was part of the floor seat program. 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. But once we acquired Shaq and Kobe, we started beating them more often than they were beating us. Could you imagine sitting in the front row for every concert? We talked about his vision, and all types of things. 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. And of course I went to greet at him and sat at his table until his guests got there. with JoAnn Buss Joey Buss born 1985, age 37 (approx.) If I was offended by the book, or what my feelings were. That was one of his favorite things he started doing later on, because before, he was doing Hawaii for a month. I was happy. Elon Musk. From online or printed sources and from publicly accessible databases. Thats not normal for most owners. It was a tough year, a tough day. We were just sitting there talking, and that was a pretty special moment. Theres not going to be a 7th game. At a young age, Jerry would stand on bread lines to get food for himself and his single mother. He got a big kick out of that, and by the fourth season, he won. Some of it is a blur, but thats what I remember. He understood that I needed that, and I would have been lost out here in this big city. 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. After Jerry Buss death, Jim continued as the VP of Basketball Operations while his sister, Jeanie, looked after the business side of things as the team governor and president. He took me to (some parties), and different places, introducing me to people, and it was a great time. 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. It wasnt even in my mind. 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. Never raised his voice, and that inspired people. with JoAnn Buss Jeanie Buss born 1961, age 61 (approx.) I read a biography on Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, and really got into collecting early gold coins, so I focused on it, and it was interesting talking to Dr. Buss about his collecting. He was an incredibly brilliant person, but he had great heart and caring for the people around him. He came up with the concept of the floor seats, and making them the most special seat in any sporting event anywhere. Especially after I retired, we spent time together. I remember the first game that we played in Michigan*, at the Silver Dome, and it was a home game for us. It was a remarkable experience that Ill remember forever. In contrast, Buss sons are primarily absent from the narrative for the most part. Daniel's 5th outing as Bond gets bums back on seats in the cinema. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. We had some pretty decent teams at the time, I just didnt think we were ready to take that next level. 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. Johnny says its all a misunderstanding. He had an appeal to the common man, and thats what I think when I look back at everything. It wasnt like he had the money sitting right there, so he was going to give up everything, and put it on a potentially losing business. He would talk about how he could go anywhere in the city and people loved the Lakers. So I talked to the NBA, and that started the process of us putting the lighting in that we have now. At the end of the day, it was almost like a perfect puzzle. I was thankful he gave me an opportunity to get involved, and more importantly, get involved with someone like him where I learned a lot. The purchase price, $67.5 million, made it the largest transaction in sports history at that time. After a family feud, Jim resigned from the Buss Family Trusts and the Board of directors but is still seemingly a part-owner of the franchise. If everyone took as much care and time to plan for the end of their lives, there would likely be much less fighting among family members when it came time to administer their estates. I think theres a lot of money in it. Because he found out very quick that I was very serious about winning, and he respected that. We had some tumultuous losses. With the Lakers, it was one man. The stake could legally be sold off entirely, but given the familys devotion to the team, the Lakers are sure to stay with them. It was about how thankful he was to me for helping to enhance his brand. It wasnt an accident, and the Laker brand exploded. And little did we know wed be teammates months later extremely serendipitous. degree in two and a half years in 1955. Laker Girls. Slow down. He was very patient and he loved timing things out, but not necessarily rushing to places. Youd pick up three of them, and it was the same trade tweaked multiple times. He did not make demands. She was predeceased by : her husband Gerald Buss; her sons, Phil Buss and Chris Buss; her parents, Ehme Busboom and Jennie Busboom (Ideus); her siblings, Rosie Miller and Gerald Busboom; her siblings-in-law, Barbara Wrightsman (Don) and Robert Schoen; and her parents-in-law, Herman and Alvina Buss. In 2013, after Jerry Buss passed away, all six Buss siblings were given an equal shareholding in the LA Lakers franchise. At the end of the day, I said, I think we have better players around you here than you do in Orlando. Very casual. Thats when I learned, in my life, you can tell a lot about someone with how they treat someone else that can do nothing for them. He talked to the janitors, the people that cleaned Staples Center. And I would come back in town, and we would see each other. And thats what Dr. Buss did. He left the organization in good hands Jeanie is a great owner, too. And after a few bad games, hed send his driver to me after the game and say, Hey Ill be picking you up tomorrow at 6 p.m., and wed go sit down and have dinner. You dont realize these things until you get my age, that you have these kinds of people, that theyre not just your boss. That iconic, focus-on-the-court lighting, started on Nov. 3, 1999. His vision and creating an organization where we all felt like a family, and we all felt very important to him. We were coming off a championship. Discover Jerry Buss's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. 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. It was kind of cool to be a player and celebrate in the locker room with him in 1985 as a youngster. I think that was the only ring that he wore, when we beat Boston the first time. 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. Ex-husband of JoAnn Mueller USC Band. I get up, I go there at 10 a.m. to his office (at the Forum) and they tell me I have to wait, Dr. Buss is in a meeting with Jerry West. California Trust Notification Requirements, Probate Without a Will / Intestate Succession, 9018 Balboa Blvd., #620, Northridge, CA 91325, Lakers expected to remain a Buss family-owned team,, Man Leaves $1 Million Estate to Actors Hed Never Met, Doctors Can Assist in Communication with Health Care Proxy. Magics family is like this, and here we are winning all these games. We knew when we got on that plane and we were going to beat the Celtics in Game 6. 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. Not just the owner-player, employer-employee relationship. 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. Money has never been a part of my being. It wouldnt just be me reaching out. 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 his business smarts (also kicked in), and the Laker Girls got branded through Reebok. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 3 reviews. We were so confident. Just a great feeling to play for an organization that had a leader like Dr. Buss. Buss also owned other professional sports franchises in Southern California. He wanted people to come to the Forum and be entertained, not just by the basketball team and the talent on the court, but leave the arena thinking, That was really fun, I had a great time.. On Feb. 13 of 1987, I found out from the Spurs trainer that I had been traded to the Lakers. 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. academy of western music; mucinex loss of taste and smell; william fuld ouija board worth. 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. The very first time that I met him was when he had purchased the team from Jack Kent Cooke. Leadership starts from the top, and he was one of these guys who commanded respect. We won big. The most innovative with Showtime and all the business connections he was way ahead of his time, more than any owner in history. Wed watch Lakers games together before he bought the team, and all hed talk about was, Someday Im gonna own that team. And (a couple of years later) he did. Dr. Buss saw the Lakers becoming something, more of an entertainment value than just a sports value, and the league has adopted, to a large degree, that same mentality. A lot of people have different memories of him mine were always good, and he just always showed the best about who he was. I thought he was really sincere about the things that he always said, so thats what I appreciated the most about him. Fans could see celebrities sitting along the sidelines, live bands playing music and the famous "Laker Girls" doing their dance routines. Great feeling to play for an organization that had a leader like Dr. Buss I. About price sensitivity if I was aware and nobody else was doing for! 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