RCS
Jerry Buss navigated his way through life and business much as Magic Johnson navigated through a tight NBA defense. He had moves, a quick learning curve and a confidence.
In the wake of Buss' death Monday, all sides of him will be in play in the news and tributes.
There will be mentions of his gambling habits. He never met a poker table he didn't like. Also mentions of his fascination with younger women. He never met an attractive 22-year-old he didn't like.
He was a major player in a big and complicated business world. Real estate dealings put him into a position where he could do something as risky and extravagant as buying the Lakers. And even when he played the real-estate game along a slippery edge, he was able to stay upright,...
My first encounter with Jerry Buss occurred in his private box high atop the Fabulous Forum during a Lakers game in 1983. I was a high school senior at the time, and somehow, someway I'd convinced then-Lakers public relations... more »
Longtime Los Angeles Lakers’ owner Jerry Buss died Monday at the age of 80. He had been at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in recent days with an undisclosed type of cancer. The news was first reported by the Los Angeles... more »
After all the anger and angst and fury of the immediate post-Shaq era had inspired Kobe Bryant to make a trade demand, Jerry Buss finally called his superstar guard to the owner's home in the Los Angeles hills on an autumn... more »
When Jerry Buss bought the Lakers in 1979, he wanted to build a championship team. But that wasn't all. The new owner gave courtside seats to movie stars. He hired pretty women to dance during timeouts. He spent freely on big... more »
Jerry Buss was one of the greatest owners in the history of professional sports, the creator of the most entertaining championship teams ever, a fearless pioneer who bonded a giant and disparate city under a brilliant blanket ... more »
Email
Print
Share