In 1979 Jerry Buss made, which at the time, was the biggest purchase in sports history in acquiring the Los Angeles Kings, the Lakers, and their arena, the Great Western Forum. In the NBA, the name Jerry Buss is synonymous with winning. In his first season as owner, Buss guided the Lakers to a title in what would be the beginning of the Showtime era in Los Angeles.
In over 30 years of successfully compiling star teams, Dr. Buss has lifted the Larry O’Brien trophy 10 times. Since 1979, the Lakers have the league’s highest winning percent at 66%. For as long as he’s owned the Lakers, his teams have found themselves in the Finals for over half of those years. When he enters the locker rooms to celebrate with his teams, the number of Hall of Famers that have sprayed him with champagne is enough to strike fellow owners rich with envy.
Most owners would have to struggle to find players for their city’s Mount Rushmore, where Dr. Buss has to struggle with finding a bigger mountain on which to put them all.
Buss has helped bring basketball juggernauts to Los Angeles, and when the books are closed on his ownership, names such as Bryant, Johnson, West and Abdul-Jabbar will support his case for making Hollywood the most entertaining place to watch basketball across the globe.
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