Unbelievable: A key member of the Los Angeles Lakers who had an affair with a teammate’s wife has been…
As I stand in the expansive two-story lobby of the UCLA Health Training Center, my attention is pulled to the enormous abstract painting by Victor Matthews, which honors 40 years of legendary Laker players.
“Hello Lisa!” I turn to see Jeanie Buss, who greets me with a warm smile. It’s a personal greeting from the owner of what is perhaps the greatest NBA club in history—the team currently valued at $4.6 billion—rather than an assistant. She draws my eye to the imposing golden door nearby, the grand entrance that all Lakers enter each day. As Jeanie takes me up the grand staircase to the executive offices, I start to picture the former and current “greats” making their way inside the Laker training sanctuary.
The championship rings are on display in a glass-enclosed shrine just outside her suite. Jeanie tells the captivating tale of each ring’s original design. Her modest pride and the happy memories they bring to mind are palpable. A painting by Megan Moore, which Phil Jackson had done just for the Laker squad, hangs on the wall. It features seven famous players. “These guys are the core team that won 2000, 2001, and 2002,” says Jeanie. It resembles a basketball paradise.
As we round the bend and go past the adorable Delores, a Maltese teacup on her tiny mattress, Jeanie leads the way inside her office. The sight of the regal Laker procession makes me gasp. Eleven magnificent gold Tiffany trophies with their backdrop beneath the gorgeous basketball court are arranged properly on the credenza. “Hear the beat of the balls bouncing?” asks Jeanie. “Of course, I could.” It is the center’s vitality.
Dr. Jerry Buss led the Los Angeles Lakers to 16 titles, with 10 of those victories coming during his tenure. Considering the championship culture of the team, one could have assumed that success in the upcoming age would come easy.
However, the Lakers’ winning record vanished following the death of her father. Jeanie was aware that, in order to reclaim the Lakers’ championship, she would need to make difficult choices. Fearlessly, she reinstated her brother as head of basketball operations and, after ten years away, brought the Laker dynasty back to its former heyday as president.
Jeanie led the Lakers to their 17th championship, matching the most ever won by a single team in NBA history. She received the most current trophy, given out in 2020.
Now, Jeanie is guiding this storied sports team in a way that is uniquely her own; she is more than just the owner.
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class=CEO Jeanie Buss is one of the “top 10 most powerful women in the sports business,” according to World Magazine. In an interview with the Courier, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver refers to Jeanie as “NBA royalty” and states, “She has been an influential and respected voice in our league for decades.”
Jeanie Buss is the Queen of the Court, being the first female controlling owner and president to win an NBA championship.
Born on September 26, 1961, Jeanie Marie was Dr. Jerry and JoAnn Buss’s third child out of four. Jeanie was challenged as a young child by her parents’ painful divorce, so she turned to sports as a nice diversion. Jerry didn’t have much time for his oldest daughter because he was managing the Los Angeles Strings and growing his successful real estate company. Nevertheless, he started inviting her to World Team Tennis matches when she was 14 years old. While attending Pacific Palisades High School, Jeanie not only played girls basketball but also served as the team’s official scorekeeper for the boys’ team.
She participated in the Miss USA program, a different kind of competition, while hopping from one house to another. In addition to winning the title in the Miss Palisades Pageant, Jeanie placed as a finalist in the Miss Beverly Hills Pageant. She made the decision to relocate full-time into her father’s new house, the exclusive Pickfair estate in Beverly Hills, after receiving her admittance to USC. In 1980, the Lakers and the Great Western Forum had been acquired by Dr. Buss.
Magic Johnson showed up at Jeanie’s front door to start his Laker career within the first few months of her moving in with her father. Jeanie was 17 and he was 19. In 1980, during the rookie year of Magic, Jerry, and Jeanie, the Buss family achieved their first title, partly due to the contribution of veteran teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The excitement of this initial triumph solidified the unwavering will to win.
With her father’s guidance, Jeanie’s interest in sports increased. Jerry approached her as a 19-year-old college student and offered her a position as General Manager of the Strings. Additionally, he presented Jeanie to Linda Zafrani, a young lady who greatly impressed him. After forty years, Linda Rambis is currently the Lakers’ executive director and collaborates with Jeanie on all organizational matters.
Jeanie took lessons from her father and graduated with honors in business. She then went on to lead the Los Angeles Blades roller hockey team and was awarded “Executive of the Year” by the league. Dr. Buss expanded her responsibilities after becoming impressed with her abilities. She was elevated to the position of Alternate Governor on the NBA Board of Governors and named President of the Forum by him, along with other increased duties within the Laker organization. She joined the Lakers in 1999 as Executive Vice President of Business Operations and later became Vice President of the team. David Stern, the NBA Commissioner, believed Jeanie would be in charge of the Los Angeles WNBA franchise at the same time. However, Dr. Buss corrected him, saying that Jeanie will eventually lead the Lakers.
