Controlling owner and President of the Los Angeles Lakers, Jeanie Buss became the latest inductee to the Los Angeles City Section’s Hall of Fame. During this memorable event, she reflected on her sporting achievements from her younger days.
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The 62-year-old reminisced about her progress as a golfer but regretted never making the varsity basketball team.
The situation traced back to the passing of Title IX in 1972. This federal law aimed to level the playing field for athletes of all genders. The problem was that Buss’ Palisades High School didn’t have a girl’s golf team in the early 1970s. So, they began recruiting to abide by this law.
Buss, who had never played golf before, soon became a member. She actively contributed to laying the foundation for future generations. During her senior year, she even played a key role in leading her high school to win a golf championship in the Los Angeles area.
This success came only after she was cut from the varsity basketball team earlier. Despite making strides in golf, her passion for basketball remained intact throughout her teenage years. She even stayed connected to the game by working as a scorekeeper for the men’s team.
Buss recounted these memories on Petros And Money, saying,
“When they told me that I was going in, my first question was, ‘Which sport?’… I was on the golf team. We won the city championship and then I never made varsity basketball and this was before my dad [Jerry Buss] owned the [Los Angeles] Lakers. I loved playing basketball, but I was also the scorekeeper for the men’s basketball team.”
Her passion for basketball paid off immensely in later years. After her father, Jerry Buss acquired the Lakers in 1979, she became involved in the franchise’s decision-making processes. The board also trusted her enough to appoint her as the controlling owner in 2013 following her father’s passing.
Since then, Buss has nearly doubled the franchise’s valuation in just a decade. In 2020, she also played a pivotal role in helping the Lakers secure their 17th NBA title. This made her the only female NBA owner to lead a team to a championship.
Buss’ passion for women in sports stretches beyond the two she played as a child. She has also been a strong advocate for women’s wrestling. Buss co-founded a women’s professional wrestling promotion called ‘Women of Wrestling’ in 2000. She has continued to support and promote the event ever since.
It was only fitting that the City Section recognized her contributions to US sports. They finally did so with style, just a month before her 63rd birthday. This honor undoubtedly marked an unforgettable moment in her life and solidified her place as one of the more notable figures in North American sports history.
