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. I was like, Listen, I havent talked to anybody from the Lakers organization, no one has called me, I dont know if its true. He said, Well, we think its true, weve talked to Jerry West. I said, Well you know what, I dont know who the manager is of this team. 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. I need to say no more. I thought, this is the way it should be. I dont think theres any thrill in it. 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. It didnt have naming rights like Staples Center. He was really a very nice guy who enjoyed the fun things in life. It would be decades later, at age 34, when Jerry made his first million. He was a mentor to me in a lot of ways. Hes already done the math in his head. He moved to Los Angeles and attended the University of Southern California (USC), where he earned an M.S. And then 25 years later, to be able to celebrate at a different stage in my life with him again (2010). Buss also owned other professional sports franchises in Southern California. He was a wheeler and dealer. He understood that I needed that, and I would have been lost out here in this big city. We were the only team to win a world championship in Boston Garden other than the Celtics. Thats when we found out about his enlarged aortic root. And how he conducted business, it was always, hey, Im holding all the cards. They traded their starting center for a guard. He had his jeans on with his sports coat, big smile on his face, open collared shirt. It was California Pizza Kitchen wed always order out and wed meet for a couple of hours. His ex-wife owns a portion of the team but does not have the ability to vote on a sale. If you got up five miles over the speed limit, hed say, What are you doing? Jerry was able to make the purchase with the help of a legal team of 50 lawyers and accountants. His succession plan had daughter Jeanie assume his previous title as the Lakers' governor as well as its team representative at NBA Board of Governors meetings. That book opened up a whole world up to me about the founding fathers. He gave the OK to pursue it. How he figured out our monetary system, the Coast Guard, customs, the first inspector general of the Army ridiculous. He and I would sit there drinking rum and cokes, talking about strategy, talking about the game. 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. 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. We had a bunch of guys who were great guys that all knew their roles, and they werent out seeking attention for themselves. 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. He loved plays, and he wanted the focus to be on the athletes and the court. (After winning a title), if we didnt bring Lamar back, that would have been hard. Id never been in a Porsche before. He was in the pass, he was in the deflection. 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 dont know if its Jerry West, or if its Magic, I dont know whats going on. I just couldnt believe it. 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. In 1999-2000, we got to the Western Finals against Portland, which was absolutely exciting. Dr. Buss was the perfect owner to play for. We had a genuine relationship and respect for one another, because I was there with him at the time he bought his dream, and it was mine too. Jerry played an important role as owner of the Lakers, ensuring that basketball become more than a sport, but also a spectacle. My biggest concern was being traded every year. I didnt have firsthand memories of winning a championship, and felt like wed never get one, because it seemed so hard. Given that the Winning Time season finale takes place in 1980, only Johnny and Jim appear in the episode. Hed call me every once in a while. I remember when he explained it to me we all knew Wrigley Field, where the Cubs played. Smiled and laughed, drank champagne and went to the White House. With 10 NBA championships under his belt, Jerry was the single most decorated owner in sports history. We were down, and it was that same old thing. I was a young player in Portland, and I knew about Jack Kent Cooke and what his reputation was, but we all heard about this man named Dr. Buss buying the Lakers, Kings and the Forum, and some real estate properties for what was an exorbitant amount of money at the time. So he created the Senate seats program sort of the precursor to the club suites program. He had Hugh Hefner come with all the girls, and then I invited Michael Jackson. Had they succeeded, that would have removed her as the Lakers controlling owner and could have threatened the Buss familys ownership of the Lakers. Thats when I got to meet Magics family. It wasnt just owner-athlete relationship, it was more like a family with his employees. We wouldnt have to spend the midlevel exception; we could try to find midlevel value guys for a fraction of the price. The love of his life was the Lakers and his kids. So all we could do was try to stay together and do what he asked us to do and that was to make as much money as possible. Dont talk about the owner. 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. They all mean a lot, but some mean a little bit more than others. [1] When he was nine years old, he moved with his mother to Los Angeles; they moved to Kemmerer, Wyoming, three years later when she remarried. 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. I was a nervous wreck the entire game, and we won the game, and I delivered the best that I could at the time. He was a great man and an incredible friend. 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. Luckily that first year the players, in spite of my lack of experience, we won the championship and the rest is history. People would say, What about George Steinbrenner? The difference between Steinbrenner, Dr. Buss was loved by everybody. He was a very, very, very generous man. I was just looking at my dad in awe, with how incredible that was. He talked to the janitors, the people that cleaned Staples Center. He taught me everything. When I retired, I had a chance to watch some games with him. And then we went and celebrated together again. We had finished the parade, and Gary Vitti and the organization made the decision I needed surgery. Wed talk about business. By the time his tenure as the Lakers' owner ended, Buss had overseen 10 total title runs. kids--Joey, now 14, and Jesse, 10--with one of his girlfriends, Karen Demel. We got something new, but we also got something that even if we didnt get Shaquille, we got a draw. Coach him. So I became obsessed with it, and how that process worked. Hed ask me a lot of questions about how we played, what I thought and so forth. He was the first to see this league as the entertainment value that it is. In the 1990s, basketball was a little different, and it took a team to win the title; it wasnt put the best players on the court, it was all about teamwork and chemistry, and we were building towards that. 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. On Feb. 13 of 1987, I found out from the Spurs trainer that I had been traded to the Lakers. I was there with my wife; wed just gotten married the year before. 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. I will miss her and send my deepest sympathy to the family.. His name will already be remembered, but to have it right there (on the shorts) is pretty big. I thought hed go in the top three or four. Janie and Joey Buss replaced them. Whatever Lamar got paid was worth it. The only way for us to change was to do something drastic. I remember being in the Finals against Philadelphia, and we were at the hotel bar of the team hotel. Dr. Buss was the first celebrity owner in all of sports. And teams like the Spurs were getting guys late in the first round that were contributors. The team folded in 1989 and the league folded three years later. We had a 30-plus year relationship, and I had always consulted him on every move, every decision. There becomes a bigger trust by an owner, a greater dependency on the people whom youre working closely with. Because he found out very quick that I was very serious about winning, and he respected that. 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). The Sparks also experienced their share of success, winning two WNBA championships with such players as Lisa Leslie, Tamecka Dixon and DeLisha Milton-Jones. We kept in touch that way. 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. I think I hurt his feelings, Johnny said. 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. Hes probably one of the best owners in the history of the NBA. He leaves behind six children, eight grandchildren, a former wife, two half-siblings and a step-brother. After the 2008 debacle, being able to redeem yourself in 2010, that made it extra special. And families who must make decisions about large amounts of money are bound to encounter conflict now and then. But now I realize, you actually really know your (stuff)! Then he started asking for my opinion on things. To speak about what Dr. Buss meant to the Lakers and to basketball, to the NBA, period. With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Betty Jean Buss of Beatrice, Nebraska, who passed away on February 23, 2023 at the age of 79. 1 seed in West, Another Trevor Bauer defamation suit is thrown out. That was a long process, too, and stressful. We just started talking about the crazy journey that weve been on. It wasnt even in my mind. Youre serious about winning and your craft. He understood me. He wanted me to be the highest paid assistant in the NBA. After Jerry divorced JoAnn, in 1972, he had two more. He got a big kick out of that, and by the fourth season, he won. That was my reaction. When we made the decision to move to Staples Center, we had to price the building. Jeanie Buss, the teams governor and controlling owner has made clear the Lakers are not for sale. Theres always former Lakers around. If you knew me you would understand Im not about money at all. 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. Could you imagine sitting in the front row for every concert? He really showed that. There is no good answer for the loss of a loved one. I love him, and his family, and I thank him to this day for the opportunity. Make sure relatives of Betty Jean Buss know they have sympathy messages here. After separation from Mueller, Buss dated Karen Demel and had two children: Joey Buss (born in 1985) and Jesse Buss (born in 1988). When you hire someone and they meet your qualifications, let them do their job, and go from there. My family is from the islands, so the West Indies part of his background resonated with me also. He then earned a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Southern California. He loved to jump on it. You can. Shaquille and I started to talk over the phone, and we sorta became friends. It wasnt much of a workout. I think theres a lot of money in it. In January 2008, Buss donated $7.5 million to USC's Department of Chemistry to fund two endowed chairs and an endowed scholarship fund for chemistry graduate students; the two chairs were to be named after his mentors at USC, professors Sidney Benson and David Dows. Jerry West called it the Shaq Diet. 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. Or hed ask us about contracts, and certain trade scenarios. Thats one of the most important things hes taught me. Now, after a public legal fight that split the siblings, Johnny is even more ready to move on. 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. I was happy to see the way that Dr. Buss and the franchise stuck by Earvin. Kind of re-thinking the economics of ticket sales. It was a ritual. I was working with Chick Hearn in the broadcast booth, but I remember meeting him at the Forum and had a very, very light discussion about the real estate business, and then I realized I was renting one of his apartments in Santa Monica, he and Frank Mariani. They didnt sell the naming rights, they (used their name). So he asked me and Pat if wed be co-coaches, and I said Id consider it for a month. He had a huge, beautiful office with all kinds of knick knacks and stuff like that. When Jerry West left, the transition was very natural now, I will say that when Jerry retired, it was a little bit weird. It was one of my finest moments. 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 purchase price, $67.5 million, made it the largest transaction in sports history at that time. He basically created premium seating, and nobody else was doing this stuff at the 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. 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