You know my dad, he always loved all kinds of sports and for us growing up sports was what we did as a family and his dream was to be able
to have enough money to have season tickets for the Dodgers and the Lakers and whatever sporting event there was and for him to end up being the owner of
the team really shows he was a fan.
1st and I think that's why the fans could relate to him as an owner.
Because he was one of them.
My name is Jeanie Buss.
I am part owner and President,
also governor of the Los Angeles Lakers.
In 1979, you know my dad was excited about the idea that not only would he be buying the Lakers,
but also the LA Kings hockey team and the forum where they played and he said,
imagine being able to go to any concert that you wanna go to and sitting in the front row because.
You own the building where they're playing,
and that's exactly what he did the very first night.
The day of the press conference,
he made sure he got a key because he wanted to be able to go into it anytime he wanted and he took a chair and sat at center court
just in and just took it all in again.
I think that that's why the fans believed in him so much because he did exactly what you would do if you were a fan and the next day you
woke up and you actually own the team.
It's hard for me to believe that I own the Lakers like this is a dream come true.
I mean, you know, Kareem Abdul Jabbar is really a big hero of mine and of course that that was very exciting for a teenager.
As I was a senior in high school,
I got to see I got to see Elton John and the Eagles and you know,
every kind of event that you could imagine and going to a Lakers game and seeing Magic Johnson and and.
Just it was just. It was just fun,
fun, addictive fun.
The Los Angeles Lakers selected urban Magic Johnson,
Michigan stand 682 hundred. It's hard to
imagine what the draft was like now with so much media coverage,
but you know, they they weren't all in New York waiting to get drafted.
You know, they drafted Magic Johnson and they flew him out to Los Angeles,
so it was going to be the first time that my dad ever met him.
He came to our house.
He rang the doorbell. I had the honor of opening the door and here was this kid with this smile that just blew you away.
So I asked, courted him and Bill Sharman into the house,
and asked them if they would like something to drink.
Made some small talk and magic said,
you know, I'm really happy that I was drafted by the Lakers and I'm going to play here for three years.
And then I'm going to go play for the Detroit Pistons.
'cause that's where I'm from,
like my like. Eyeballs you out of my head.
I couldn't believe what he said and you know.
And you gotta imagine. I was 17 and magics 19.
I mean we're very close in age.
He's just another teenager to me and but he had this command and this vision of exactly who he was and what he you know what he loved doing.
And I wait, wait, this isn't the plan.
So I ran upstairs to talk to my dad and say,
you know, he just told me that.
He's gonna play for three years.
And then he's gonna leave and my dad didn't miss a beat.
Didn't even stop what he was doing.
He said, you know? As soon as he puts on a Laker uniform and walks out on that floor.
He's never going to leave,
and that's exactly what's happened,
because, you know, magic could be the mayor of Los Angeles.
He could be the Governor of California.
That's how much the state loves him.
And that's how much he loves this town.
My dad knew he is the ultimate matchmaker and they really were.
I think the most special relationship between an owner and a player that's ever been and probably ever will be.
So as we play pool to 4:00 or 5:00 o'clock in the morning.
He was picking my brain on what I wanted to do after basketball.
And I was telling him I wanted to be a businessman.
So what he would do was put me in business situations and I didn't know he was doing that to get me ready for life after basketball.
And he became my advisor.
And it was. It was tremendous because with him and his expertise.
I knew I had a chance to be successful away from the basketball court.
My dad groomed me from a young age to be in the position that I've been in now.
He encouraged me and taught me and growing up in it,
I learned a lot. For example,
when my dad was selling out the forum and back in those days.
The rule was that you never put your home games on television and you know my dad talked about starting a channel.
That would show all the games,
all the home games, and I was panicked because I said,
well, if if we do that,
then no one's ever going to come watch the team play.
It's too easy to stay home and watch it and he said no,
you have to think of it.
Jeannie as instead of of competing,
we're actually just increasing the size of the forum because not everybody who wants to see the game can fit into the forum and we have to.
Expand that and you know it was that kind of thinking that,
and for me to to experience it.
That certainly has helped me as an executive today,
and he knew I enjoyed it and he knew it was something that we could do together.
And you know, I was one of those kids that would offer to bring Donuts to the meeting.
I would bring the Donuts in and instead of leaving I would.
To sit in the corner and listen to what was going on so he knew it was something that I was interested in,
engaged in, and so it prepared me again for where I am today.
On Monday. We lost
what we all know to be the greatest owner.
In sports. Ever. He was a brilliant and incredible owner,
but he was even a better person.
With a great heart. His vision has transcended the game.
And we are all all spoiled by his vision.
And by his drive
to win year after year after year.
I'd like to ask all of you
to please join us in a moment of silence.
To honor. The great doctor,
Jerry Buss.
The Lakers meant so much to my father,
and it was really important to him that we continue that that was his wish for us.
He was very disciplined in how he set everything up with all my siblings having a role and teaching us well and.
Uhm? You know, I'm I'm humbled by Laker Nation.
The fans of the Lakers because they are the best fans.
Of any team in any city they love this team.
We want to make them proud.
We want to make my father proud and we're committed to doing that and getting the the team back on track.
I was thinking that when you watch the Lakers play,
it's like watching a movie every conceivable thing happens.
It seems almost like it's a script sometime.