In 1979, Magic Johnson and team owner, Jerry Buss, both joined the Lakers. It proved to be a fruitful union at a pivotal time, inspiring each other to greatness, as the team won several championships. Understandably, the two formed a close bond. “We would go to his house on Saturday morning, have breakfast and play pool, and then get on his bus to go stand on the sidelines of USC football games,” Johnson told the Los Angeles Times. “Then at night we would go to clubs and, man, he could really dance.”
The NBA star credited Buss with revolutionizing basketball as a sport, as well as his own career. “He was a genius, way ahead of his time; the league owes him a lot,” Johnson insisted. “Dr. Buss believed in it, he believed in me.” After his career with the Lakers ended, the entrepreneur also taught Johnson how to make a living in the world of business. “He brought me in, showed me the books,” he recalled. That lifelong bond made Buss’s 2013 death particularly difficult for Johnson.
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“He had such a big heart,” the player stated. “I have lost my second father. I have lost one of my best friends.” He revealed that they had spent five hours together at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center before Buss died, reliving memories and holding hands. “I’m crying right now,” Johnson added, recalling his friend’s final moments. “Without Dr. Jerry Buss, there is no Magic.”
