Jim Buss Net Worth, Wife, Age, and Lakers

Jim Buss Bio | Wiki

Jim Buss is a well-known American part-owner and former executive vice president of basketball operations of the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. His father is Jerry Buss, the former Lakers owner. He worked as president of the Los Angeles Lazers professional indoor soccer team from 1985–1989. He then returned to the Lakers in 1998 as an assistant general manager.

Jim Buss Age

He was born in Los Angeles County, California, in the United States on November 9, 1959. Buss is b and celebrates his birthday every year on November 9.

Jim Buss Height

He is a man of tall stature. Buss stands at a height of 6 ft 2 in ( approx. 1.88m ).

Jim Buss Family

He was born in Los Angeles County, California thanks to hardworking parents. Buss holds American nationality. He is the second born in a family of four children. His parents are Jo Ann and Jerry Buss. His father Jerry was a businessman, investor, chemist, and philanthropist who died at the age of 80 years old on February 18, 2013. He was the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA winning 10 league championships.

Jerry was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor. Buss grew up with four siblings Lee, Johnny, Jeanie, and Janie. However, his oldest brother Lee was put up for adoption shortly after birth. His parents divorced in 1972.

Jim Buss Wife

He was married to his wife in 1983. The couple adopted a son but separated months later. The two continued living together for six months while a social worker was monitoring the adoption. Buss and his wife divorced in late 1985 with Buss gaining sole custody of their son.

Jim Buss Education

After graduating with his high school diploma, he enrolled at the University of Southern California (USC), majoring in math before he dropped out. Buss spent much of his youth at race tracks. When he was 20, he attended jockey school.

Jim Buss Lakers

Buss became president of his father’s indoor soccer team, the Los Angeles Lazers in 1985 after his brother Johnny left. In his position, he brought annual losses down from $1 million to $500,000. He became a horse trainer after receiving from his father the half-dozen thoroughbreds he owned. The horse racing stock was unprofitable and his father invited his son to join the Lakers, a basketball team he acquired in 1979.

He first worked as an apprentice to general manager Jerry West and his assistant, Mitch Kupchak in 1998. Buss decided that the Lakers would sign Rudy Tomjanovich to replace the outgoing Phil Jackson after the Lakers lost in the 2004 NBA Finals. However, Tomjanovich resigned after a half-season, citing mental and physical exhaustion and the Lakers paid him $10 million. Buss became vice president of player personnel in 2005. Buss was a key proponent of selecting 17-year-old high-school center Andrew Bynum in the 2005 draft.

When his father died in 2013, his 66% controlling ownership of the Lakers passed to his six children via a trust. Moreover, Buss pledged to his siblings that he would step down if the Lakers were not contending for the Western Conference championship in three to four years in January 2014. He was later fired as head of basketball operations of the Lakers on February 21, 2017. In addition, he was removed as a trustee of the Buss family trust and lost his position on the Lakers board of directors.