But Wrigley was also the name of the family who owned the team, and also the name of their chewing gum, Wrigleys Spearmint Gum. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America, Uju Anya Ethnicity And Parents: Family Net Worth And Salary, Sonia Montejano: Early Life, Career & Net Worth, Who Is Limmy On Twitch? Throughout my tenure away from the team, Id send him a note every time they won a championship. We all felt very comfortable around him because he treated us all as human beings. 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. Our first year! And then we went to the hotel and we danced all night. 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. I remember when he explained it to me we all knew Wrigley Field, where the Cubs played. Notwithstanding, she is embraced and she has composed a book named Late for the Buss: A . died in 2013. He called Jerry, and it was done. Smiled and laughed, drank champagne and went to the White House. Id run into him in Los Angeles at various places and said hello. the teams he owned perform, and what is his lasting legacy? Moreover, he also became an inaugural member of the USC College Board of Councilors. I wouldnt ever want to try that. This franchise and that franchise, and we got em. I remember being at the Forum in Inglewood in 1985 in my rookie year, meeting Dr. Buss and him saying Lets have lunch one day. Time goes by until you decide, Im going to take him up on that. So we arranged a lunch, midweek after a practice, and went up to his office, and we had a real, genuine, 1-on-1 conversation talking about life itself outside of basketball. earned an MS and Ph.D. in physical chemistry and was ready to truly make his That was an absolutely incredible gesture on his part, which I always appreciated, to say the least. Luckily that first year the players, in spite of my lack of experience, we won the championship and the rest is 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. We just clicked. The times that he took out for 1-on-1 time to get me to feel comfortable, to tell me that he loved my game, that he wanted me to play confident. He would talk about how he could go anywhere in the city and people loved the Lakers. way to winning the Stanley Cup with the Edmonton Oilers. I just wanted some of that Salisbury steak and a good meal. From then on, I was at his house every weekend during the season, it seemed like. Theyre respectful, theyre loyal and theyre good to other people as human beings. abandoned Buss and the rest of his family when Jerry was a young child. His vision really helped make these moments possible. 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. to wait long for the trophies to start rolling in. Jerrys wish is being fulfilled. It all started to gel at that point. He did not yell and scream at me. Its opening night for Staples Center: Nov. 3, 1999. We were down, and it was that same old thing. So I played in San Antonio for about 4.5 months and had no idea the Lakers were interested in me. Never raised his voice, and that inspired people. Theres not going to be a 7th game. Edward Norton. And I remember I was working as a scout when my dad called and let me know about us acquiring Pau Gasol. Donald Trump. Jerry Buss was a kind-hearted and humble human being who is no longer with us; however, his children represent him, who works in the Lakers organization. The Buss family owns . Joey Buss, 32, is in his sixth season as the D-Fenders president and chief executive. away due to kidney failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. That showed me what he was all about to me, he was the best owner. There was a lot of pressure, but Dr. Buss I think took a lot of that pressure off of us. He earned a scholarship We really were a family, and we were intact as a team, and all the families were invested. I dont know who spoke first about it, but the discussion of Lamar came up and as hard as it was to work our way through that negotiation, at that moment, it was the greatest feeling in the world to have been able to have done that. Jeanie inherited the Lakers from her late father Dr. Jerry Buss and previously was engaged to former Lakers head coach Phil Jackson, 77. So when you talk about him not being a person who would yell or be a tyrant or throw things to motivate, he was a teacher, and he knew how to motivate people. And then 25 years later, to be able to celebrate at a different stage in my life with him again (2010). Johnny, Jim, Jeanie, and Janie with his wife JoAnn Mueller (divorced And I walked right by him. Until last week when Jeanie Buss fired her brother Jim Buss, all six children spanning 31 years in age from eldest to youngest worked within the Lakers' organization or for the team's NBA. He had a brilliant mind, and he made a fortune in real estate because he was able to see the opportunity and bring everything together, and thats how he built his wealth. Later it was Miller Genuine Draft. Dr. Buss was open to all of the discussions. I havent seen that a lot in my 11 years being around the league, owners being that human. He revealed that he wasnt very interested in the familys sports ownership business, and his interest further diminished after his fathers death. *In the 2004 Finals, Detroit beat L.A. 4-1. superstars like Billie Jean King, Rod Laver, Bjrn Borg, and John McEnroe. investment in West Los Angeles in 1959. 754 2 minutes read. 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. 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.) Thats when we found out about his enlarged aortic root. He was the first one to see that opportunity to sell the naming rights of the building, which really was an asset to the company, because now instead of going to Forum, you were going to the Great Western Forum, and Great Western was one of the big banks in Southern California at the time. Eventually, all three teams moved into a more modern arena in downtown Los Angeles, the Staples Center, which opened in 1999. Dr. Jerry Buss was a larger-than-life character whose impact on US sports can still be felt today, nearly a decade after his passing. The family moved to Los Moreover, many big athletes, including Kobe Bryant, said a positive message about Buss as the Greatest Owner in sports ever.. You understood the genius of this man, because youre dealing with a guy whos just on a different plane. About four years later, at the age of 41, she was named the executive vice president of the Lakers. The takeaway is that we all have to be good, well-rounded people. In 2002, when the WNBA was restructured to give its teams individual owners, Buss took ownership of the Sparks. He USC Band. It was about how thankful he was to me for helping to enhance his brand. And I was happy to be a part of it, because Jack Kent Cooke, as great a businessman as he was, he was tough. It wasnt just owner-athlete relationship, it was more like a family with his employees. He went from playing, to (working with) Chick, to assistant coach to a head coach in what, two and a half years? High praise indeed, He would listen to things. with Karen Demel{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Karen Demel", "gender": "Female" }, Jesse Buss{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Jesse Buss", "gender": "Male" }, born 1988, age 34 (approx.) The sale of the team would require a majority vote among the six children. His father, Lydus, Dr. Buss was one of those guys. online casino news, guides, reviews and information since 1995. After separation from Mueller, Buss dated Karen Demel and had two children: Joey Buss (born in 1985) and Jesse Buss (born in 1988). He would empower the people that worked for him, and hed be a problem solver. Id say, I call it the smorgasbord defense a little bit of everything.. It wouldnt just be me reaching out. It wasnt even close. He was always right. Dr. Buss liked to go the horse races at Hollywood Park, and he was great at picking winners. Once that game got going, he was into it. He really, really, really enjoyed the game of soccer. Los Angeles won five titles in the 1980s thanks to the dynamic duo of Magic. And so, I had to trust him. history. 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. 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. Source: Los Angeles Times, Lakers expected to remain a Buss family-owned team, Mike Bresnahan, Feb. 19, 2013. In 2006, the Scottish culture magazine The List placed Limmy at No. But once we acquired Shaq and Kobe, we started beating them more often than they were beating us. He purchased the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA along with the Los Angeles Kings hockey team of the NHL, The Forum (all for a then-record combined $67.5 million for those three properties[9]), and a large ranch from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979, in a deal that also transferred ownership of the Chrysler Building. I remember him saying, You know how cool it would be for the Buss family to own the Lakers for 100 years? Im this young guy out of UCLA, and when you first meet him coming into the locker room, and he comes to shake your hand, theres no greater form of nervousness in this town at that point in time. His contributions to basketball were recognized by his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. He really showed that. Hes already done the math in his head. Dr. Buss also provided resources for scholarships at Wyoming and USC, and endowed the Magic Johnson Scholarship at Michigan State University. [33][failed verification], daughter-of-lakers-owner-jerry-buss-be-the-next-to-rule-her-fathers-sports-kingdom-or-will-one-of-her-brothers-rise-to-power-a-fractured-family-fable, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Lakers' Jeanie Buss: She's Got Balls - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com", Jerry Buss, Longtime Lakers Owner, Is Dead at 80, "Whether It's the L.A. Lakers or a Lovely Woman, Jerry Buss Is Interested in Champions", "Lakers Legendary Jerry Buss and His "Rags to Riches" Story Truly One of a Kind", "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2010", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", "A Bad Fold by David Grey on Poker After Dark", Los Angeles Times: "All in the Family - If Jerry Buss has his way, the Lakers will belong to his kids" by John Ireland, "Lee Klose finds birth family after decades", Dodgers affected by Jerry Buss like no other non-NBA team, "Buss also booked for driving with BAC of 0.08 or higher", "Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash help Lakers hold on for 2nd straight win", Breaking News: Lakers Owner Jerry Buss Dying Of Cancer, "Lakers Owner Jerry Buss Dies at Age 80, Leaving Behind "Unparalleled Legacy", "Jill Painter: Lakers lose innovative owner, L.A. loses friend", "Jerry Buss Buried At Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills In Private Ceremony", "LOS ANGELES: Jerry Buss, Lakers' flamboyant owner, dies at 80", "Buss family faces crucial moment with the Lakers", "Lakers expected to remain a Buss family-owned team", "World Series of Poker invites Kobe Bryant as tribute to Jerry Buss", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jerry_Buss&oldid=1133690878, This page was last edited on 15 January 2023, at 02:00. And one such face that has become so quickly known is Paloma Jimenez. You wanted to give him a little extra. Later on in the day, Dr. Buss was having a picnic for all his employees. He was very, very friendly, and the door was always open. Donald asks the courts to let him tweet. at the story behind the success. Because he found out very quick that I was very serious about winning, and he respected that. Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss, who presided over a team that won 10 NBA titles and showcased some of the biggest names in professional basketball, died Monday. Around him because he found out about his enlarged aortic root a scout when my dad called let! Lakers were interested in me Buss also provided resources for scholarships at and... Four years later ) he did a more modern arena in downtown Los Angeles Times, expected. His contributions to basketball were recognized by his induction into the basketball of. 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