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How Lakers owner Jerry Buss changed the NBA

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    Legacy of legendary basketball figure

  • Duration 5:18
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He was one of the most successful team owners that we have ever seen in the world was forced the LA lakers -- bus passed away yesterday.

After spending much of the past eighteen months battling cancer his team won the NBA title a remarkable.

Ten times during his tenure.

Fox's Jim Gray sitting down with -- legend Jerry West who spoke about how -- change the game.

-- -- Road of where it is today in the brand that has really it's under his stewardship.

The things that he wanted to change the different things that he.

Put into a basketball Kennedy.

It's change the -- -- -- live I mean if this was a man who has an innovator trust me -- -- real innovators.

He thought he we have to talk all the time and we talk about sports but he also talked about entertainment.

There was a team that he wanted to see play a certain way showtime he -- foreign teams who didn't want came to -- ball down the court didn't like and that.

Reflected across all.

Professional sports teams are sportscaster in Fox's contributor Jim Gray -- with me now Jim good morning to you what is his legacy do you believe.

This early on remembering his life.

He changed the whole complexion of what it is that we have in sports he invented senate seats.

He made it fashionable for these celebrities to come to the game.

He was a showman.

He changed the complexion of what basketball was in terms of entertainment grew it as a global game.

Wasn't just concerned with winning the game but he wanted to to look good and be appealing to fans.

He was a brilliant brilliant man and much of the growth of the NBA's because of him.

Shaquille O'Neal sent this tweet out I'm deeply saddened over the loss of the great doctor Jerry boss.

He was a dear friend -- -- and brilliant business mind thank you for eight great years.

And Magic Johnson who had such -- a long standing relationship with him.

Tweets this this is a great loss for the Laker nation first -- legendary chick Hearn and now my second -- have a beloved doctor Jerry Buss I love you.

Doctor -- and our relationship with a Magic Johnson especially.

-- it was so public with HIV going back in the late eighties and early ninety's that was a relationship that played out quite publicly.

It sure did and and doctor buss was the beneficiary of that Jack Kent -- was the man who was able to bring Magic Johnson here.

And Jerry Buss took over his very first year.

Right as magic was beginning to play he took over.

And Mikey said he went to the NBA final sixteen times out of his 34 years he was a visionary but he ran up like a mom and pop store.

He was accessible but he left the star shine you could talk to doctor -- almost that anytime I covered the man.

And he was always there are always available but he wanted the others to be in the forefront he stayed in the background.

And when I say ran a like a mom and pop store.

The last deal that he completed and this was -- man who grew up in Wyoming and he had to wait in line for food so we had absolutely nothing and he -- this thing.

The final business deal that he close was a three billion dollar television deal with Time Warner.

And -- and all of his money back into the team -- -- put all the money back into the team so that the team would flourish.

Jerry West just talked about entertainment and you realize that entertainment had to be part of the game -- orders to sell.

But here is Jerry West talking about how -- was a global sport as well according to -- rule us.

The lakers.

Hardly.

Franchise.

In the NBA and I'm not sure that.

People ever be able to realize just how important his presence was here.

And more importantly.

What he did for the game he did help make it -- global game he did helped sell this game worldwide.

There was -- what he wanted to from his players from what he demanded from his players.

And that was play the game -- a very -- pace.

A level that most teams couldn't do.

And and be willing to pay for the players to do that and when you think of.

-- basketball and a global sense perhaps you could argue -- that it's never been so popular.

Would you.

It's at its -- if you just look at what went on at the Olympics we had team USA playing the dream team again and that was the toughest ticket.

In London over -- bowl over Michael Phelps.

And the games were not competitive yes it is.

The biggest game across the world that's American born and doctor -- And the thing about it he loved to play pool he loved to play poker.

He was flamboyant that you'd always see young girls with them.

He was on apologetic about the way he lived his life and he loved his life and everybody who left doctor -- I would say the left having -- having felt better about the experience better about being around him and better about yourself.

This was a wonderful guys very rare.

When you have all of all of the whole confluence of events.

That would -- to see the success -- half.

Virtually almost everybody like this guy bill has ever -- with a remarkable remarkable run that's a full life that's a fully.

Eighty years and our best to his family as they remember him.

This we can -- on Jim -- thank you out of LA today thanking him.

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