Jan 18, 2021
We sit down with the eldest
scion of Los Angeles' legendary Dr. Jerry Buss family sports empire
for a wide-ranging discussion about its early construction,
day-to-day operations, eventual unwinding - and its ongoing legacy
via the current NBA World Champion Lakers, of which (along with his
five siblings) he is a part-owner.
Along the way, Johnny takes us
through his personal adventures in places like:
- The original mid-1970s World Team Tennis (the Los Angeles Strings, Jerry's first pro sports ownership endeavor);
- Inglewood's "Fabulous" Forum (the eventual hub for Buss family-owned assets acquired from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979);
- The MISL's Los Angeles Lazers (where Johnny was president for the team's first three seasons);
- The WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks (again president, from the team's/league's inception in 1997 until 2006 - including back-to-back league titles in 2001 & 2002)
Buss also sheds some light on
the often-challenging family dynamics both under father Jerry's
watch and even more so after his passing - as well as hints at the
sport that still intrigues him enough to potentially come out of
retirement to make another go at it.