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RIP Jerry Buss

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Uncle.Ruckus, Feb 14, 2013.

  1. Songbird

    Songbird Well-Known Member

    Thanks, Dr. Buss. See ya in the Great Beyond. Looking forward to seeing that Showtime.
     
  2. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    There is no doubt that Jerry Buss is the biggest, most important sports figure -- on or off the court -- in Los Angeles sports history.
     
  3. SoCalScribe

    SoCalScribe Member

    Wow. That's quite a statement!
     
  4. mpcincal

    mpcincal Well-Known Member

    I was going to post that if it hadn't been already. Excellent job by Springer.
     
  5. old_tony

    old_tony Well-Known Member

    The Lakers and Kings already were in Los Angeles. The Lakers already had won a title in 1972 -- just seven years before Buss took over. They'd already drafted Magic. Not saying Buss wasn't great, but I wouldn't underestimate the importance of Walter O'Malley and what he created in Chavez Ravine.
     
  6. Norrin Radd

    Norrin Radd New Member

    Walter O'Malley has an argument.
     
  7. Versatile

    Versatile Active Member

    Walter O'Malley and Jack Kent Cooke have to be higher, just among owners. But Magic Johnson is the face of Los Angeles sports to this day, though, and when you factor in his importance in AIDS awareness, I would say he's the guy.

    Jerry Buss made sure the trains ran on time for the franchise that already was established as one of the two best in NBA history when he bought it.
     
  8. Liut

    Liut Well-Known Member

    I was thinking of Cooke earlier this morning. Love the story of him telling the Coliseum Commision to screw off and went out and built the Forum.

    Anyone ever read the Cooke biography and what did you think of it?
     
  9. Drip

    Drip Active Member

    RIP to Dr. Jerry Buss.
     
  10. Small Town Guy

    Small Town Guy Well-Known Member

    Grateful to Cooke for building The Forum, curse him for putting the balloons there in Game 7 in '69.
     
  11. BTExpress

    BTExpress Well-Known Member

    Balloons didn't lose it. Van Breda Kolff lost that one by telling Wilt, "Forget it, we don't need you" when Wilt asked to go back in after leaving a few moments earlier with a partially torn patella tendon. At the time of the injury, Wilt was 7-of-8 from the field with 21 rebounds (but an ugly 4-13 on FTs).
     
  12. PCLoadLetter

    PCLoadLetter Well-Known Member

    Buss was a tremendous owner... but I'm not sure he's top 5 among sports figures in L.A. history.

    I'd have a very hard time putting him above Walter O'Malley, Jerry West or Magic Johnson, for starters.
     
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