$600M Lakers executive chose Magic Johnson because of his smile and style, according to Jeanie Buss

Jerry Buss changed the Los Angeles Lakers by obtaining Magic Johnson with his first draft choice as owner of the iconic NBA franchise.

Dr. Jerry Buss, a real estate tycoon who reportedly amassed a $600 million fortune by the time of his death in 2013, bought the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979 with the intention of making them the best team in the NBA. His ticket to that goal? Magic Johnson.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was already on the team when he bought it, but it had a losing record and the first pick in the 1979 Draft, which the new owner used to select Magic Johnson, a point guard out of Michigan State.

Buss would give the Lakers’ front office the flexibility to immediately put together a team that could win a title.

It was a dream of your father and my mentor and father figure, Dr. Jerry Buss, for us to work together and it finally came to fruition.

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 12, 2019

This resulted in a strong squad being created as Buss sought to modernize the basketball game experience inside the arena by showcasing one of the NBA’s most cutting-edge offenses, the fast-break, which was managed by the adorably dubbed “Showtime Lakers.”

From 1980 to 1988, the Lakers won five championships as a result of the selection of Magic, which can be attributed to Jerry Buss’ selection of Magic with the first NBA draught pick he ever made, Magic Johnson. His daughter Jeanie, who is currently the president of the Lakers, explained why her father went with Magic.

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Jeanie Buss Explains Why Magic Johnson Was Jerry Buss’s First Draft Pick For The Lakers

Dr. Jerry Buss certainly expected the “Showtime era” to begin when he drafted Magic Johnson to the Los Angeles Lakers. After all, as Jeanie Buss put it, her father recognized his swagger. Jeanie commented on the fateful 1979 choice on SiriusXM NBA Radio, which had a significant impact on the Lakers’ history.

The Purple and Gold selected Johnson out of Michigan State with the first overall pick in that year’s lottery.

Dr. Buss evidently recognized more than Johnson’s leadership and basketball skills, as his “showmanship” during the 1978-79 NCAA Tournament really stood out to the then-Lakers CEO.

“Not only was (Magic Johnson) a great player but he did it with style”.@JeanieBuss tells @JumpShot & @DarthAmin why her dad, Dr. Jerry Buss, was inspired to draft Magic. pic.twitter.com/e7VqyF1Y97

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) August 30, 2022

“Like every basketball fan, he watched the NCAA Final — that was the Larry Bird, Magic Johnson Final — and it was the showmanship, the flare, the smile that really inspired my father [to choose Johnson].” He was not just a terrific player, but he did it in elegance,” Jeanie explained.

The acquisition of Magic affected the course of the Lakers franchise since the player would one day become a minority owner on the team.

Dr. Buss transformed basketball, but he couldn’t have done so without Magic Johnson on his squad. Magic became the ideal complement to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and roamed the court in one of the NBA’s most offensively gifted teams.

This was a winning formula, and Buss got to add the final ingredient to ensure NBA success when he picked Magic.

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