Photo: flipchip / LasVegasVegas.com / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Jerry Buss is one of those rare figures who makes you rethink what a sports owner can actually be. The guy earned a PhD in chemistry, quietly built a real estate empire, then bought the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979 and basically invented the modern sports entertainment experience — courtside celebrities, the Forum Club, cheerleaders, the whole spectacle. And then he backed it up with ten NBA championships, including the glorious Showtime era of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1980s. He wasn't some absentee billionaire trophy-collecting; he genuinely loved the game, the fans, and the city. Getting inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor felt exactly right. He passed in 2013, but the Lakers' identity he built still runs deep.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Jerry Buss
- Name (Japanese)
- ジェリー・バス
- Reading
- じぇりー・ばす
- Born
- January 27, 1933 – February 18, 2013
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Rooster
- Origin
- Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
- Occupation
- poker player / businessperson / chemist / basketball player / film producer
2. Background
- University
- University of Wyoming
Awards & achievements
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Jerry Buss born?
January 27, 1933 – February 18, 2013.
Where is Jerry Buss from?
Jerry Buss is from Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.
What does Jerry Buss do?
Jerry Buss works as poker player, businessperson, chemist, basketball player, film producer.
Poker player — see all → · Businessperson — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.