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| Buss stood as a legend in the NBA community. (Getty Images) |
Jerry Buss raised the bar, and in doing so, he made the Lakers into the greatest franchise in basketball.
Buss died Monday, leaving behind a legacy of championships, business expansion, brand development and an aura of greatness seldom glimpsed by sports teams. Under Buss the Lakers weren't just a great team; they were the standard-bearers of excellence. Buss ensured it.
The Lakers had won titles before Buss took over the team (six, actually), but only one in Los Angeles (the previous five titles were in Minneapolis). What's more, if you read up on your history, the Lakers weren't considered the juggernaut they are today. They were the Celtics' little brother. They were the team that could never get past Boston, haunted by the Celtics' dominance over them.
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But under Buss, all that changed. You can credit Magic Johnson and the rest of the '80s Lakers, but all the same you need to understand that from the get-go, Buss used the glitz and glamor of the city of Los Angeles to re-invent the standards for the Lakers.
Under Buss, it wasn't about competing or staying in the hunt or "being right there at the end." He wanted titles. He built an organization that expected to win championships, and that in turn molded a fan base to expect the same. For most teams in the NBA, making the conference finals is a spectacular year, a testament to what the team accomplished. For the Lakers, it is an utter failure in the completion of their goals.
Look at the players Buss brought in. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Magic Johnson. Shaquille O'Neal. Kobe Bryant. Pau Gasol. Dwight Howard. Steve Nash. Routinely, the Lakers acquired or developed Hall of Fame talent and made it work.
That will be Buss's sports legacy.
Fans across the league are frustrated with their teams, specifically because of the Lakers. Buss set a tone for the franchise that every fan wants: You expect to win, every single year. That's what fans want, and it's why Lakers fans were so blessed under Buss. When things fell apart, from time to time, he simply had his management reassemble and make the boldest move possible. No one restocked like the Lakers.
Jerry Buss made unrealistic expecations into the standard-bearer.
All the while, Buss flourished on the business end. While partying with Magic in the '80s and making appearances at all the biggest parties well into his 70s, Buss also helped develop Staples Center and LA Live!, built the Lakers' branding into the behemoth it is in the league and turned a team he purchased for $67 million as part of a larger deal -- including a ranch -- into a $1 billion enterprise. Other owners in the NBA may hate how the Lakers were always one step above them, but they couldn't resent the way he raised the value of their teams.
Buss's passing may represent a changing of the guard, with such owners as Mark Cuban, Ted Leonsis and others bringing a new, more aggressive attitude. There are implications of Buss's death that reach into nearly every facet of the league, from competition to finance to the future of CBA negotiations. But one thing is certain.
There will never be another Dr. Buss.
