Riley said Buss was a visionary and that with Lakers during the 80’s Showtime was not just about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. He added that his vision was one that managed to connect the community. Through his leadership, Lakers came to be known as the Los Angeles cherished sports franchise and cultural signature representation. By using his skills, Buss managed to acquire, nurture and befriend a large number of players who are talented and they took him up the hall of fame.
A couple of years ago, Bryant said that one would have to think about the kind of impact he had brought to the game and the decisions he made and the kind of impact they had on sports. According to Bob Steiner his longtime friend and assistant, he died at the medical Center Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. For the last 18 months, Bass was hospitalized and undergoing treatment for cancer. Steiner confirmed that the cause of his death was kidney failure.
