Dr. Buss brought "Showtime" to the NBA in the form of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy, winning five championships.
He then oversaw the assembly of the Shaq-Kobe and Kobe-Gasol eras that gave him five more rings to add to his other hand. But Dr. Buss was more than just an owner that hired smart and innovative executives to bring his franchise to life.
As the commissioner of the NBA so eloquently stated after his passing:
"The NBA has lost a visionary owner whose influence on our league is incalculable and will be felt for decades to come," David Stern said. "More importantly, we have lost a dear and valued friend."
Magic Johnson, one of the greatest Lakers of all-time had this to say of Buss on ESPN:
"He was a visionary, he was a trailblazer," Johnson said during an interview on "SportsCenter." "He did things that were, at that time, people thought wasn't cool, wasn't proper. He was a man who walked the walk and talked the talk. He produced championships, because he was the most competitive owner you could ever meet in your life."
Buss was the owner who sold naming rights to his arena before that was the "in" thing to do, as he searched for ways to increase revenue. He used innovative ways to make sure eyes were always on his franchise, and his actions proved effective.
But for all that Dr. Buss provided the Los Angeles Lakers in his lifetime, lets take a look at the five individuals, and a couple honorable mentions, in the history of the franchise that influenced and guided them to where they are today.
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
