Magic Johnson Talks About The Death of Jerry Buss on ESPN

The thing that struck me the most about Magic Johnson's comments on the death of Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss, was not just the love Earvin had for Mr. Buss ( and vice versa), but the fact he was a businessman, who was not really a business man.

Buss came from academia, where you are exposed to different people and different thoughts.

Many team owners today, comes from a place where most people think like them, talk like them and look like them and diversity of thought means ROI and laptops than  sit down Italian dinners and partying like Buss did with Johnson over the years.

Teams are so expensive nowadays that, its hard to find regular, fun loving owners anymore who are more people conscious than money conscious.  

Jerry Buss was  relateable to the players, but  he did not get in their way.

He allowed then GM Jerry West to do his job by not micromanage him, but was savvy enough to target Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant for the next phase of post showtime Lakers championships.

That's what great leaders do.

You put people in the right place, let them do their job and be there for them in the good times and bad.

Sadly we probably will never see an owner like Jerry Buss again (unless his daughter Jeanie Buss can take the team away from her brother Jimmy), but at least Magic Johnson has learned enough from Dr. Buss  to continues his legacy with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

R.I.P Dr. Busss Also read: LA Times: Jerry Buss dies at 80; Lakers owner brought 'Showtime' success to L.A.