Book Review: "100 Things Lakers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die"

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: True fans kill for these types of tidbits. I'm still figuring out how the Lakers were almost called the Vikings.

After more than a dozen years of dating, literally, Phil Jackson proposed to Lakers heiress, Jeanie Buss.
 
Hoopsvibe's quick call:  If Jackson is good at anything, it's putting rings on fingers.

The basketball community changed forever Monday with the passing of Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  Perhaps the greatest NBA owner in history left a lasting legacy behind.

Here are ten interesting facts about a man who was amongst the best the business has ever seen.

1.)  Buss bought the Lakers, along the Los Angeles Kings Hockey team, The Forum, and a large ranch in Kern County, from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979 for $67.5 million.  The team itself is now worth $1 billion.

2.)  The Laker Girls was his idea.

3.)  He has six children, who all have roles within the Lakers organization.  Their names are Jim, Jeannie, Johnny, Joey, Jesse and Janie.  Jim currently runs basketball operations and daughter, Jeannie, runs business operations.

4.)  His daughter, Jeannie, is currently engaged to Hall of Fame coach and former player, Phil Jackson.  And apparently, Jim Buss hasn't spoken to Jeannie since their engagement.

5.)  Buss was an avid poker player, appearing on the shows High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark.  He placed third in the 1991 World Series of Poker seven-card stud event.

6.)  Buss is incredibly smart.  In high school he was entrusted to teach his chemistry class senior year.  He got his Bachelors degree from the University of Wyoming in 2.5 years, reportedly borrowing his friends books at the beginning of the semester because he didn't have enough money to buy his own.  He would read the books, and return them halfway through the semester, with enough knowledge to pass the final exams.

7.)  He has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Southern California and worked in aerospace and real estate before becoming Lakers owner.

8.)  He was raised in poverty in Wyoming.  He first came to LA when he was 9, but moved back to Wyoming after his mother remarried.  There he worked as a ditch-digger, a bellhop and a shoe shiner.

9.)  Under his ownership the Lakers won 10 Championships; and have seen the likes of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Dwight Howard, to name a few.

10.)  There are many other interesting facts about Jerry Buss but my all-time favorite is this:  Buss told ESPN in 2010 that he texted each of his six children every month the following question:  "Do you have any idea how proud of you I am?"

In the words of Kobe Bryant, "His impact is felt worldwide."

I couldn't agree more.

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Blake Griffin is concerned with the way Donald Sterling manages the Clippers and is monitoring the situation, according to sources.

Sterling recently testified in Elgin Baylor's lawsuit against the Clippers for wrongful termination and the owner also had a mishap related to an advertisement for Black History Month that was actually scheduled for March and included Griffin's picture.

"There has been no direct contact between Bulls officials and Jackson, the sources told Broussard, but people close to both parties have spoken and come away with the belief that Jackson would be open to a potential reunion in Chicago next season.

Gar Forman, the Bulls' general manager, refused to comment on the club's coaching search when reached Monday night by telephone.

The Bulls are not alone in registering interest in a coaching reunion with Jackson. NBA coaching sources told ESPN.com's Marc Stein on Tuesday that the New Jersey Nets have made similar back-channel inquiries about their chances of luring Jackson away from the Los Angeles Lakers at season's end."

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HoopsVibe's Call: Money and power.

These are the reasons Coach Phil Jackson could leave the Los Angeles Lakers when his contract expires at season's end. Jerry Buss, the team's owner, wants the Hall of Fame sideline boss to reportedly take a $5.0 million salary reduction next season.

Jackson is earning $12.5 million for 2009-10, the last year on his contract. Buss hopes he'll do the exact same job in 2010-11 for $7.5 million.

There's also a power struggle going on. Buss is aging. He named his son, Jim, as successor -even though his daughter, Jeanie, enjoyed great success in the team's marketing department. Rumor has it Jeanie was passed over for the Lakers' top job because her long-term partner is Jackson.

Jackson, health permitting, has repeatedly said he wants to continue coaching the purple-and-gold. He's settled out west; his team will contend for years.

Still, with a huge pay cheque available and the chance to partner with a top free agent, Jackson could conceivably go back on his word. 

Will Jackson leave the Lakers? Get at us in the comment box below with thoughts.