Today we all know that the Lakers are considered to be a legend in professional sports. Moreover, it is also the world’s seventh-most-valuable sports franchise. For almost 34 years it was owned by Jerry Buss.
The Lakers have won over 17 Basketball Association of America (B.A.A.) and National Basketball Association (N.B.A.) awards combined, but this didn’t happen overnight. The real name behind the success of this glamorous team is Dr. Jerry Buss.
Today we will discuss his story and how a man coming from a humble background built such a huge and successful sports empire. The man who lived a rag-to-riches life and an inspiration for many. Let us dive into his life.
Jerry Buss’s Background
Jerry had a tough childhood and was born into a poor family. He knew that he had to make it on his own, and thus he started working at a very young age. Jerry grew up in Wyoming and faced a lot of hardships from an early age.
He first started working at his stepfather’s plumbing company. He used to wake up at 4:30 in the morning and every day before going to school for at least three hours, and he used to work.
After that, during high school, he started working at a motel where he used to get paid just two bucks for an entire day. Jerry was a bright student, but due to his financial situation, he had to drop out of school to work full-time at the railroad.
However, later on, he joined the University of Wyoming to complete his graduate degree and also did a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Southern California. Jerry also earned a scholarship at the University of Southern California.
After completing his studies, Jerry started working at Douglas Aircraft in California in aerospace technology.
How did Jerry get Into Sports?
After graduating from U.S.C., Buss used the money he had saved from his first job to purchase a 14-unit rental building in West Los Angeles for a down payment of $6,000 and a loan of $100,000 from a bank.
Their business soon acquired hotels, office buildings, apartments, and single-family houses thanks to a real estate boom in Los Angeles.
In 1974, Mr. Buss became the first owner of the Los Angeles Strings of World TeamTennis. Five years later, when he acquired Mr. Cooke’s sports properties, Mr. Buss advanced to ownership of the N.B.A. and N.H.L.
In addition, Mr. Buss had previously controlled the Major Indoor Soccer League’s Los Angeles Lazers and the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Los Angeles Sparks.
When the Lakers were getting ready to depart the Forum for the Staples Centre, which opened the following year, N.B.A. commissioner David Stern told Sports Illustrated that “the day of individual owners like Jerry is going quickly” in major sports.
When Mr. Johnson and Mr. Abdul-Jabbar played for the Showtime teams that won five championships in the 1980s, the first under Coach Paul Westhead and the others under Mr. Riley, Mr. Buss’s Lakers were the N.B.A.’s most exciting team.
Jerry Buss’s Net Worth
An American businessman and owner of a professional sports organization, Jerry Buss has a net worth of a whopping $600 million.
Jerry Buss’ ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team contributed the most to Jerry’s net worth.
Additionally, he formerly had ownership of the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, the Los Angeles Kings of the N.H.L., and the Los Angeles Lakers of the N.B.A. (soccer).
Buss ran the Phoenix Playboy Club and dabbled in filmmaking. Buss was able to leverage his talent for the thrill and intensity of live entertainment by purchasing the Lakers and the Forum.
The Lakers and Jerry Buss
Dr. Buss saw the Lakers as more than just a basketball club. It was a live performance that was emotional and unforgettable.
As a result, he stated, “You’re there and watching, and it’s like a miracle is unfolding in front of your eyes, and you can’t comprehend it,” after Kobe Bryant’s infamous 81-point performance.
The brain just won’t function. The simplest way to understand it is that everyone recalls every 50-point game they have ever witnessed.
In keeping with his character, Dr. Jerry Buss graciously postponed his passing until after the All-Star Weekend to avoid overshadowing the weekend’s sporting extravaganza, which he surely helped create.
Since 1979, under Buss’ direction, the Lakers have grown to be the most popular sports team in Southern California and a global symbol of Hollywood glitz.
Passing away of Jerry Buss
Buss passed away at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles at the age of 80, according to his aide Bob Steiner.
Buss had spent most of the previous 18 months in a hospital receiving cancer treatment, but according to Steiner, Buss’s primary cause of death was renal failure.
Several well-known former Lakers paid Buss the last visit as his condition appeared to have gotten worse in recent weeks.
In a statement released by the Lakers, the Buss family said, “We not only lost our dear father but a beloved man of our town and a guy revered by the international basketball community.”
Conclusion
Jerry Buss has had a remarkable impact on the sports world. He was one of the major reasons behind the success of the Lakers. The members of the Lakers will never forget his efforts and what he has done for the team.
Jerry was one of a kind for him. The Lakers were not just a team, but it was his dream to see The Lakers on the top. He has revolutionized the sports merchandising industry. Coming from a poor family and building such a huge empire, his story is an inspiration to many footballers like Jamie Redknapp.
He had no desire to get famous or be in the spotlight; his only motive was to see his team perform well.
In his 34 years of being the owner of the Lakers, the team has reached great heights and has won numerous titles. Jerry Buss lived the dream life of every American and will always be remembered for being the kind of human he was.
