Who is jerry buss

Lakers-Heat takeaways: Russell Westbrook steps up in overtime victory. Lakers rally late to beat Heat in overtime. All Sections. About Us. B2B Publishing. Business Visionaries. He was one of the great innovators that any sport has ever encountered. He was a true visionary and it was obvious with the Lakers in the 80's that 'Showtime' was more than just Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

It was really the vision of a man who saw something that connected with a community. I have always come to realize that if it weren't for Dr. Buss, I wouldn't be where I am today. I owe my start in professional coaching to him, and I will always hold him and his memory in the highest of regards. Overall, the Lakers made the finals nine times in Buss' first 12 seasons while rekindling the NBA's best rivalry with the Boston Celtics , and Buss basked in the worldwide celebrity he received from his team's achievements.

His womanizing and partying became Hollywood legend, with even his players struggling to keep up with Buss' lifestyle. Johnson's HIV diagnosis and retirement in staggered Buss and the Lakers, the owner recalled in The Lakers struggled through much of the s, going through seven coaches and making just one conference finals appearance in an eight-year stretch despite the arrivals of O'Neal, who signed with Los Angeles as a free agent, and Bryant, the year-old high schooler acquired in a draft-week trade.

After the Lakers traded O'Neal in , they hovered in mediocrity again until acquiring Gasol in a heist of a trade with Memphis in early Through the Lakers' frequent successes and occasional struggles, Buss never stopped living his Hollywood dream.

He was an avid poker player, frequently participating in high-stakes tournaments, and a fixture on the Los Angeles club scene well into his 70s, when a late-night drunk-driving arrest in -- with a year-old woman in the passenger seat of his Mercedes-Benz -- prompted him to cut down on his partying. Jerry Buss still served two terms as president of the NBA's Board of Governors and was actively involved in the lockout negotiations, developing blood clots in his legs attributed to his extensive travel during that time.

Skip to main content Skip to navigation. Jerry Buss, owner of 10 Laker titles, dies at Los Angeles Lakers. Buss regularly sat in seats available to the general public and unassumingly took in the game. After one game, I saw Dr. Jerry Buss making his way seamlessly through the crowds to the exits, no one noticing that the Lakers' owner was actually walking beside them. I tracked him down, extended my hand and said "Dr. Thanks for everything you've done for the Lakers.

You're the best in the business. Thirty seconds was all it took to let him know of my gratitude as a lifelong Lakers fan. Even after winning multiple championships and befriending every celebrity in Hollywood during his ownership of the Lakers, Dr. Jerry Buss was still as genuine and approachable as ever. Jerry Buss ran his organization through a simple formula: hire the best, most talented people and get the heck out of their way. This was a very hands-off approach and a stark contrast to the management style of the previous Lakers' owner—cable magnate and serial sports entrepreneur Jack Kent Cooke.

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