With Dr. Jerry Buss’ 81st birthday having passed on Monday, Jeanie Buss recently discussed David Stern and the family’s relationship with the embattled commissioner as part of ESPN’s compilation of Stern anecdotes.
Stern is set to step down from his role as NBA Commissioner on Jan. 31, 30 years after he accepted the position in 1984.
Similar to the treatment Jerry received when he passed away, many are now reflecting on what good-doing Stern did for the league.
Of course to Los Angeles Lakers fans, Stern is widely recognized as the villain who prevented Chris Paul from donning purple and gold for basketball reasons.
However, according to Jeanie, Stern shouldn’t be the fixation of fans’ anger.
Jeanie Buss on Stern nixing the CP3 trade, “He wasn’t out to get the Lakers. I don’t feel that way. My dad would never feel that way.”
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) January 31, 2014
Jeanie also likened Stern to her late father in the sense that he too possesses a vision and broad perspective.
Jeanie Buss on David Stern: “He’s always somebody that you can bounce things off of. He’s got a worldview. He’s a diplomat. He’s wise.”
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) January 31, 2014
With the Lakers just over two years removed from Stern’s brazen decision, Jeanie believes it is time for the franchise to move on.
Jeanie goes on to state her belief in Stern’s awareness of the NBA needing “30 healthy teams to survive” as a key reason why the Lakers were denied the All-Star point guard.
Jerry and Stern were each visionaries who at times may have ruffled the feathers of their contemporaries, but at the end of the day, were interested in the overall well-being of the NBA.
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