Legendary Los Angeles Lakers owner, Dr. Jerry Buss, dies at the age of 80 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said Bob Steiner, his assistant. Buss had been hospitalized for cancer, but the immediate cause of death was kidney failure, Steiner said.
Under Buss' ownership, the Lakers won NBA titles in 1980, '82, '85, '87, '88, 2000, '01, '02, '09 and '10. Among the all-time greats who played for the Lakers during Buss' tenure were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Byron Scott, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.
Buss bought the Lakers -- along with the Los Angeles Kings, the Forum and real estate in central California, from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979 for $67.5 million. Forbes magazine now estimates the Lakers are worth $1 billion, second to the New York Knicks among NBA franchises.
'Showtime' was a Jerry Buss creation and he transformed LA to become a Laker town taking all of the magic away from the Dodgers who ruled LA. No owner had racked up more titles than Dr. Buss and though Im a Celtic you must respect a winner.
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