Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979 for $67.5 million and decades later, the franchise is worth $1 billion according to Forbes. In his tenure as Lakers owner, Buss won 10 NBA championships and brought some of the league’s greatest talents to the City of Angels.
One of the those players was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, someone who helped bring five titles to the Lakers franchise. Just like most of the players who suited up for the Lakers with Buss as owner, Abdul-Jabbar was somehow positively impacted by Buss’ presence.
Abdul-Jabbar released a statement regarding Buss’ death and can be read in its entirety below:
When someone as celebrated and charismatic was Jerry Buss dies, we are reminded of two things. First, just how much one person with vision and strength of will can accomplish. Second, how fragile each of us is, regardless of how powerful we were. Those two things combine to inspire us to reach for the stars, but also to remain with our feet firmly on the ground among our loved ones. Dr. Buss embodied that compassionate entrepreneurial spirit. He strove to reach greater heights without forgetting his community roots. During his stewardship, the Lakers exemplified his personal standards of excellence and became one of the dominant teams in the NBA and a force of good within the community. The man may be gone, but he has made us all better people for knowing him. — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
