Picture - File Photo , Wednesday 12th April 2006

File Photo * LOS ANGELES LAKERS OWNER JERRY BUSS DEAD JERRY BUSS, the owner of basketball giants the Los Angeles Lakers, has died. The 80-year-old real estate mogul passed away on Monday (18Feb13). Buss bought the Lakers in 1979 and shepherded the NBA team to 10 championships. Born in 1933 in Salt Lake City, Utah, Buss came from humble beginnings. His parents divorced when he was an infant and his mother struggled to make ends meet as a waitress. He won a scholarship to the University of Wyoming and earned a doctorate in chemistry at the University of Southern California. Buss turned to real estate in the late 1950s and quickly started to make his millions. He realised his dream of taking over a basketball franchise in the late '70s when he acquired the Lakers as part of a takeover deal - and the team won its first NBA championship under Buss a year later. He has since been inducted into the sport's Hall of Fame. (KL/LAT&U/MT)** Jerry Buss The 3rd Annual Los Angeles Lakers Casino Night held at the Barker Hanger Santa Monica, California - 12.04.06 Where: Los Angeles, California, United States When: 12 Apr 2006 (1 Picture)