Photos: LA Lakers owner Jerry Buss | CNN (2024)

Lakers owner Jerry Buss —

Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss died Monday, February 18, a hospital spokeswoman said. Buss, 80, had long been a fixture in the NBA though he increasingly left day-to-day operations of the Lakers to his children in recent years. With 10 NBA championships and 16 Western Conference titles, Buss was nothing if not a winner. Credited with procuring the likes of Earvin "Magic" Johnson, James Worthy, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, it's inarguable that he was instrumental in cementing the Lakers' claim to being the second-best NBA team of all time, behind the Boston Celtics.

1953 —

After finishing his chemistry degree from the University of Wyoming in 2½ years, Buss went on to receive his master's in chemistry at the University of Southern California and completed his doctorate by age 24. Pictured, Buss watches USC play Arizona State in 2009 in Los Angeles.

1979 —

Buss, who found success in the real estate industry, purchased the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings hockey team for $67.5 million, a record transaction for any franchise at the time. Forbes now values the Lakers alone at $1 billion, making the team the second most valuable franchise in the NBA behind the New York Knicks. Pictured, Buss, bottom left, sits for a team portrait in 1980.

1980 —

The Lakers won their first of 10 championships under Buss. Veteran center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar averaged a monstrous 32 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks during the playoffs, but he had to share the stage with a 20-year-old rookie who would soon become a legend himself, Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Pictured, Johnson dumps champagne on Buss after winning a game in the 1980 series.

1984 —

After the Lakers' first championship under Buss, either the Lakers or Boston Celtics played in the next four championship series. The Celtics won the 1984 championship in seven games, reigniting a storied rivalry between the two teams that had waned after the championship contests of the 1960s. Pictured, "Magic" Johnson and the Boston Celtics' Larry Bird in the NBA Finals in 1984.

1985 —

The Lakers took back the title from the Celtics in 1985. During the series, Larry Bird averaged 26 points and nine rebounds to Johnson's 18 points and 15 assists. The series marked the pinnacle of a rivalry that helped boost the NBA's attendance and television ratings. Pictured, Buss and his team celebrate winning the 1985 Finals.

1988 —

The so-called Showtime Lakers won their last championship of the era. The team couldn't keep up with Detroit's Motor City Bad Boys, who went on to back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990. Pictured, Abdul-Jabbar of the Lakers defends against Bill Laimbeer of the Detroit Pistons during a 1988 NBA Finals game.

1991 —

Buss' Lakers got their last whiff of a championship during this era, winning the first game of the series before losing to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in four straight games. With Abdul-Jabbar retired, the other Lakers began showing their age. The Lakers didn't make another championship until 2000. Pictured, "Magic" Johnson faces off against Jordan in the '91 finals.

1992 —

Buss had stellar finishes in back-to-back World Series of Poker competitions. He finished third in a 1991 seven-card stud tournament and followed that up with a 15th-place finish in the 1992 No Limit Hold'em competition. He won a collective $189,241 between 1991 and 2011, according to pokerpages.com. Pictured, Buss plays poker with actress Bai Ling at a 2006 event.

1997 —

After the WNBA is formed, Buss operated the Los Angeles Sparks franchise. Lisa Leslie joined the inaugural team in 1997, proving Buss' reputation for snaring supreme talent knew no gender boundary. Leslie's storied career included seven All-Star appearances, four Olympic gold medals and two WNBA titles. Pictured, Leslie grabs a rebound during a 1997 WNBA game against the Houston Comets.

1999 —

The Lakers and Sparks moved into the $375 million Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles in 1999. Pictured, Lakers fans crowd the center during the Lakers' NBA championship parade in June 2001.

2000 —

In their fourth season together, Shaquille O'Neal, a 7-foot-1 center acquired from the Orlando Magic, and Kobe Byrant, a young phenom straight out of high school in the 1996 draft, began to gel. They beat Indiana in six games as O'Neal racked up his first of three consecutive NBA Finals MVP honors.

2002 —

Not only did Buss' Lakers win their third-straight championship, but his Sparks racked up their second consecutive title. Pictured, the Lakers' team portrait in 2002.

2009 —

The Lakers won their first championship since 2002. It was the first post-O'Neal championship for star Kobe Bryant, who was always considered a standout but was criticized for his inability to win a championship without the big man. Pictured, Bryant shoots during a 2009 NBA Finals game against the Orlando Magic.

2010 —

Buss was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. Pictured, he speaks at the Class of 2010 induction ceremony in August of that year.

2012 —

Daughter Jeanie Buss, executive vice president of business operations for the Lakers, got engaged to Lakers' head coach Phil Jackson, the architect of five of the team's championships, in 2012. Pictured, the two watch a game together in 2007.