scott spencer obituaryscott spencer obituary

So before I leave, he gives me an envelope, and he says, Give this to the person thats down there. So I go down there and give it to them, and there are six cars lined up there. Jerry Buss has six match and be entertained because Buss had a vision that sports should give an Then Id add it all up and give a gross potential. Hed say, Jeanie, the Lakers are what connects the community, and when theyre not winning, then were not being part of the community. Its almost like the Lakers are owned by the fans.

I thought they had a great relationship that seemed to blossom until the day that Dr. Buss passed away. From my standpoint, when I got in, Magic had been in the league for a few years and they were really close. Today, you cant. He came up with the concept of the floor seats, and making them the most special seat in any sporting event anywhere.

He understood the brand of the Lakers, and that first time he sat down with me in 1979, he said, I want to make the Lakers a household name. Basically, he wanted Showtime. It is. And hed say, I want you to come to Vegas in a week. Everywhere we went, everybody would holler our names. We were down, and it was that same old thing. Now, HBOs Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty provides a dramatized version of that period. I just looked at him. Treat everyone with respect and dignity while setting forth a vision of exactly what you want to accomplish. Laker fans didnt have It was a really intimate moment. He did his research, then acted on his conclusions, long-time family spokesman Bob Steiner As a player, you have to put your trust in the organization and some organizations nowadays have so many different shareholders and board members and people that are making decisions by committee and all this crazy stuff. governance and strategic initiatives for the organization and controlling ownership held by the various Buss family trusts. Jesse would just rattle off the stats. You can be super successful and win at the highest level while being a great father and family man, and also still have a social life.

Youve got this really good looking coach in Pat Riley whos completely Hollywood. This was the beginning He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor. A lot of times if I didnt see him in the locker room, we went up to the press room at the Forum, and hed be there. NBA legend Dennis Rodman said Buss was like a Dad to him and sportscaster John Ireland said Buss was nice to everybody at the bottom and the top because he had been to both places.. daughter, Jeanie, Buss felt like an outsider in Wyoming and was never accepted In 1974, Buss produced a movie named Black Eye starring former gridiron star Fred "the Hammer" Williamson. This time she stuck around, struck by the cross-section of people whom Id never meet in my ordinary life.. Dan Grigsby Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel.

A lot of good times, and so much success on the court. It became a happening. The Buss family drama was highlighted after Jerry Buss death when Buss took over the business operations and became the Lakers governor.

In the midst of the legal battle over ownership of the team in 2017, Janie Buss told ESPN, My vote is behind Jeanie. Busss long-term relationship with Phil Jackson, center, began to unravel after he moved to New York to work for the Knicks. WebAs the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers from 1979 until he passed away in 2013, Dr. Jerry Buss oversaw one of the greatest stretches in sports and entertainment history. After all the experiences Ive had in pro sports, Ive never had a better owner. Veteran guys. I talked to him, and I said, Dr. That was a long process, too, and stressful. Dr. Buss actually started in his first season, 1979-80, with a combination of USC and UCLA pom girls, and the USC band. A Sports Illustrated profile from 1998 about the family stated that Buss and her brother Johnny Buss had barely spoken since 1995 and dont acknowledge each other despite working in the same building at the time, the Forum. He left Wyoming to Some of my earliest memories were sitting courtside and seeing Magic come back from the HIV diagnosis, and him getting thrown out in one of his first games back.

He knew wed thrive under that pressure.

Hey Pat, come on down and lets have a talk. The next thing I know, theres a number in front of me with more money than I could ever dream of making in my life. We pray these resources will enrich the lives of your students, develop their faith in God, help them grow in Christian character, and build their sense of identity with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. And Id just played in a rec league game maybe a week prior. I was finally going to join the team I grew up loving in the Bahamas as a kid, from afar. My last year when I retired (2004-05), I remember being a free agent, and one call from him made my decision easier when he told me, You started with the Lakers, you have to retire with the Lakers. That was my decision, trusting that guy, and man, it was a pleasure to play with him.

carried their regular season form into the playoffs, winning the WNBA title and [30][31] His succession plan had daughter Jeanie assume his previous title as the Lakers' governor as well as its team representative at NBA Board of Governors meetings. I couldnt be more thankful for all the parties involved in that trade, because it really changed my career here in the NBA, and gave me a second life. His father, Lydus, abandoned Buss and the rest of his family when Jerry was a young child. Pat learned his job on the fly. some siblings selling their 11% stake in the team (valued at $3 billion at the This Jerry Buss had an on-off relationship with. worked for the LA Lakers when he died in 2013. Adler on Monday joined others to praise Buss, who owned the Lakers for 34 years and became one of the most successful owners in the history of professional sports. He was there for us. When he got a chance to buy it, it was his biggest thrill at that point in time. Comedy was never supposed to become a second career. (Fast forward to the Finals) against Indiana, and in the 4th quarter and my dad grabs me and Jesse with a minute left in the game, and he says, We gotta go! He just took us down to the court. Naming rights. The writings of Ellen White are a great gift to help us be prepared. [4] Buss started as a chemist for the Bureau of Mines (now the Mine Safety and Health Administration);[5] he then briefly worked in the aerospace industry and was on the faculty of USC's chemistry department. And I remember a nice gesture from him, when I signed my extension during my third year, and I had to have a back surgery. science. And he said, I have one suggestion for you, Tim: Its really bright in here. I said, It is. He wasnt born in Los Angeles, but it was his home, and he loved it here. Magics mom was a Seventh Day Adventist, and they have similar dietary restrictions as Muslims, and she was aware of my faith, so she would cook for me and take care of me when I was on the road and wed cut through and play in Detroit. I thank him for not telling Jerry West, No, I dont want him, I want you to find somebody else.. They didnt sell the naming rights, they (used their name). The championship in 1985 stands out because wed just beaten the Celtics, and Dr. Buss was as proud as hes ever been of any team. Dr. Buss was my boss in a completely different way from what happened later. In this article, we look He Thats not to say it was He inspired the Lakers' Showtime era with his vision that basketball games must be entertaining.

There becomes a bigger trust by an owner, a greater dependency on the people whom youre working closely with.

He was just a very good man. February 18, 2013, aged 80. She was raised alongside three siblings by Joann and Jerry Buss. championships the Lakers would secure during Busss ownership. I didnt get enough time with him when I was growing up, he was working a lot, that was his focus, building his empire, building his wealth through real estate, Buss told the New York Times. The Lakers franchise, which he purchased in 1979 and steered to 10 championships, had become a laughingstock, mired in the worst stretch in its history.

A lot of people are surprised at Phoenix, but Im not, she said. But when we did speak and get a chance to talk to each other, I thought it was real genuine.

Johnny Buss, the Ice Houses new owner and the son of the late legendary Lakers owner Jerry Buss, took the stage midway through the evening to thank attendees for their support. It was Jerry West and Jerry Buss who opened the door for me, especially Dr. Buss, because I think Dr. Buss at that time, from what Ive heard, and if you go back and ever look at that press conference from when there was a coaching change, he saved my basketball life, or re-directed it in a way that I never realized that I was going to be where I am today. Hed recommend books for me to read. All these companies want to do business with the Lakers? Walking all 25 miles of Sunset Boulevard in a day reminded us why we love L.A. Ready to tee off for Masters 2023? Tsai is the co-founder and vice chairman of the Alibaba Group. Lakers. Dr. Buss was happy. Still, they werent happy times for the future Basketball Hall of Fame success on the hardwood that defined Busss ownership of the Lakers; he It was one of my finest moments. If it wasnt for Dr. Buss, thered be no Jerry Jones. an angel. Through his 80th birthday on January 27, 2013, he had not attended a Lakers game during the 201213 season due to health concerns. massive impression on the young Jerry in business and personality traits.

Id just moved up to live with him in Playa Vista in 2006, and late one night after a game he was drinking wine. Buss died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said Bob Steiner, his assistant and longtime friend. My contract is up, wed just beaten the Celtics in Boston, everybody was happy. out of college was working as a chemist for the Bureau of Mines. Even though he provided for us wonderfully, we were starved for the love of a father.. The first time I met him was when we were in training camp in Hawaii, when he came into the gym in his jeans and his Hawaiian shirt, just watching practice. When she was only 19 years old, Jeanie took over as general manager of Jerrys tennis team, the Los Angeles Strings. He had thought about it. Buss was an inaugural member of the USC College Board of Councilors. All the other times, wed go to Las Vegas. So in 1987, we win the championship, and I win Defensive Player of the Year. Its not all been smooth Itll be a while before she sees that again, with the Lakers long gone from the playoffs after a surprising first-round defeat by the Phoenix Suns.

Even today, when they talk on ESPN, Greatest Owners in Sport History come on man, thats crazy! If I just followed the blueprint he laid out for me, I was going to be successful, and I did. So I want you to play confident. Then at times, if I was struggling a bit later in the season, wed do it again. (Towards the end) we were just talking and reminiscing about old times. Everybodys been calling, but this is the call Ive been waiting on. There was no social media, nothing to really distract you. Dr. Buss was incredibly intuitive and in touch with the fans from a business standpoint. He understood that I needed that, and I would have been lost out here in this big city. Besides, she added, she sees in the Suns embers of the Lakers championship spark. Once, he asked her out to lunch and brought Gianna. And that resonated all the way back to Los Angeles. I love it. He was very appreciative, very happy.