That status took a bit of a dip during the last decade-plus, especially after Jerry Buss’ death in 2013. There were six straight non-playoff seasons from 2013-14 through 2018-19.

The Buss family has become synonymous with the Lakers since Jerry Buss bought the franchise in 1979. He is a major reason why the team is worth $10 billion in 2025.

When Jerry Buss, a former chemist turned real estate mogul, acquired the Lakers in 1979 for $67.5 million, he not only bought a basketball team, but capitalised on an opportunity to transform the ...

3. Shaq-Kobe Era & Three‑Peat (2000-2002) Jerry West’s 1996 trade for Kobe Bryant and the free-agent signing of Shaquille O’Neal, one orchestrated under Buss, transformed the Lakers.

Follow The Athletic’s live coverage of the NBA offseason & free agency. In 1979, when Dr. Jerry Buss purchased his $67.5 million stake in the Los Angeles Lakers — which included a 13,000-acre ...

The Buss family’s decision to sell a controlling stake in the Los Angeles Lakers at an eye-popping franchise valuation of $10 billion marks the end of nearly a half-century when one of the mo… ...