Legendary Los Angeles Lakers owner and real estate magnate Jerry Buss passed away on Monday, Feb. 18 due to complications from cancer, according to the Los Angeles Times'Mike Bresnahan. He was 80.
Los Angeles Times' David Wharton confirmed Bresnahan's report: "Buss died Monday of an undisclosed form of cancer at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, according to his longtime spokesman, Bob Steiner."
The Lakers organization later confirmed Buss' passing on Twitter and also released a statement on the team's official website.
Though Buss' cancer diagnosis was kept private, word had leaked of his declining health in recent days. RadarOnline.com reported on Feb. 14 that Buss' family and friends had been summoned to his bedside and the prognosis was not good.
Buss, whose legend began in the real estate community, was a pioneer on the Los Angeles sports scene for parts of five decades. After acquiring his wealth as a co-owner of Mariani-Buss Associates, Buss slowly started expanding his empire with the purchase of sports franchises.
He started as an owner of the Los Angeles Strings in World Team Tennis. When that league went defunct in 1978, Buss' focus shifted toward making a much bigger splash in the Los Angeles community.
In 1979, he purchased the Lakers, the Los Angeles Kings, the Los Angeles Forum and a ranch from previous owner Jack Kent Cooke. Buss stayed an owner of the Kings before slowly selling them off to Bruce McNall in the late 1980s, but he truly made his mark with the Lakers.
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SOURCE: Bleacher Report
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