Jerry Buss

Dr. Jerry Buss is a former real estate developer, a basketball team owner, and a poker player. At age 24, he completed his Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Southern California.

Related Topics:
Real estate - Basketball - Poker - Ph.D. - Chemistry - University of Southern California

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Buss is perhaps most notable for being the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, an NBA team. He purchased the team, along with the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL and the Great Western Forum (a sports arena in Inglewood, California), from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979. The price tag for this sports package, $67.5 million, was the largest transaction in sports history at that time. Buss later sold the Kings (in 1989) and the Lakers eventually moved into a more modern arena, the Staples Center in Los Angeles, which opened in 1999. The Lakers have been very successful under his ownership, winning several NBA championships with such prolific players as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, James Worthy, and Kobe Bryant.

Related Topics:
Los Angeles Lakers - NBA - Los Angeles Kings - NHL - Great Western Forum - Inglewood, California - Jack Kent Cooke - 1979 - 1989 - Staples Center - 1999

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Buss has been a high stakes cash game poker player for many years, but recently he has been more active in tournament games. His best finishes include 3rd place in the 1991 World Series of Poker seven card stud event and 2nd place in the 2003 World Poker Tour invitational.

Related Topics:
1991 - World Series of Poker - 2003 - World Poker Tour

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Buss resides in Los Angeles, California.

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