Basketball fans all across America awoke to sad news Monday morning with the passing of long-time Los Angeles Lakers owner, Dr. Jerry Buss. At the age of 80, he died of liver failure due to prolonged cancer at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. 

Buss bought the Lakers, along with the Los Angeles Kings and the Great Western Forum, for $67.5 million back in 1979, accounting for the largest sports transaction in history at the time. Since, he has ushered the Lakers to 10 championships (the most by any NBA owner) and brought in six league MVPs, as the team finished with a .659 winning percentage after nearly 34 years under Buss’ ownership. 

However, Buss did more than just put together a winning basketball team for the city of Los Angeles, as he truly reinvented the way the game of basketball would be viewed by fans. He would put the “show” in Showtime, as he made the Great Western Forum the place to be during the star-studded 1980s. 

He did so by always bringing in marquee players and coaches, using his financial skills in order to give them top-dollar money without making the team go bankrupt. 

Using the star power of Magic, Kareem and Pat Riley, along with that of Kobe, Shaq and Phil Jackson, Buss was able to make the Lakers into a global brand, recognizable by anyone, anywhere. 

While stars have come and gone, Buss continually strived to put that dramatic element of Hollywood into the games, making it can’t miss action. Largely for that reason, he is widely responsible for the great progress the NBA made in the 1980s, taking it from a second-tier sport to a ticket always in demand on the market. He was the one who put celebrities in courtside seats, entertained fans with pretty dancers during stoppages and ultimately made the game of basketball exciting to watch. 

"Jerry Buss helped set the league on the course it is on today," NBA Commissioner David Stern said. "Remember, he showed us it was about 'Showtime,' the notion that an arena can become the focal point for not just basketball, but entertainment. He made it the place to see and be seen."

With Buss at the helm, the Lakers emerged into Southern California’s most beloved franchise, becoming a Hollywood icon along the way, which is why Buss has widely been considered the founding father of the Lakers, the one who started it all.

Winning an NBA title almost every three years and making it to the NBA Finals close to half the time Buss was calling the shots (16 NBA Finals appearances), Buss always had high expectations for his teams. Naturally, as a very competitive person, he always operated on the standard that if he was going to invest the money into the team, it should perform and win, which attests to why Buss passes on with such an impressive resume as an owner. 

It would be appropriate to say that Buss reinvented and transformed the Lakers, a trademark of the city of Los Angeles. At the time of Buss’ transaction for the Lakers, they were estimated to be worth $16 million. As of last month, Forbes estimates that the Lakers are worth an outstanding $1 billion.

Buss, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010, made all of his money initially through real estate ventures and also had a career in the aerospace industry after earning a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Southern California at the age of 24. 

The Buss family continues to own approximately 65 percent of the team and does not intend to forfeit the majority ownership of the franchise. The everyday operations of the team will also remain the same, as Buss’ son, Jim, will continue to run the team’s basketball operations, while his daughter Jeanie will continue to run the business aspect of the team. 

As Jerry watches down on his current team in turmoil - one that the Buss family is currently spending $113,291,191 in salary on - one can only wonder what would Jerry think of this team. One thing for certain is that he wouldn’t be happy with a 25-29 team that is approximately $55 million over the league’s salary cap. 

If Lakers players continue to make claims that they need something to get their team going and wanting to play hard day in and day out, they are mistaken. They are playing for the one they called Dr. Buss.

Reach Staff Writer Darian Nourian here.