Magic Johnson is making the case loud and clear: Jerry Buss belongs in bronze outside Crypto.com Arena.
The push picked up after the Lakers announced Phil Jackson will be honored with a statue outside the arena for his role in delivering five NBA championships. From there, Khobi Price of the New York Post opened the door to a bigger question - if Jackson gets that kind of tribute, why not Buss, too?
Johnson didn’t hesitate to back that idea on social media.
“He’s not only the greatest owner in NBA history, but he also has a strong argument for the greatest franchise owner in sports history.” Words from Khobi Price in his latest article in the NY Post - and he’s exactly right!
“I 100% agree that Dr. Jerry Buss is the greatest franchise owner in sports history and deserves a statue in front of Crypto.com Arena soon in his honor!” Johnson wrote on X.
Buss’ case is hard to miss. His family’s relationship with the Lakers stretched 47 years, and he bought the team in 1979.
At the time, the franchise was valued at $68 million. By the time of his death in 2013, it had climbed to $1 billion.
His impact went well beyond the Lakers. Buss won 10 NBA championships and two WNBA championships with the Sparks, helping shape the basketball culture in Los Angeles into what it is today.
Johnson’s connection to Buss runs deep, too. He was drafted in 1979, the same year Buss was moving into ownership, and reports say Buss pushed back when Jerry West suggested trading down in that draft. That helped keep Johnson in Los Angeles, where he and Buss went on to build a special bond and win five championships together.
Now there’s another layer to this conversation: the Lakers’ ownership picture is unsettled. Five of Jerry Buss’ children have voted to sell their family’s minority share in the franchise to the new majority owners, Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. Jeanie Buss has gone to court to block the sale, arguing it runs counter to her father’s wishes.
With the court case pushed to December, Jeanie Buss is expected to remain team governor until then. If she signs off on the idea, Jerry Buss could soon join the 14 other sporting legends honored outside Crypto.com Arena.
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