Lee Buss is the eldest and adopted daughter of Jerry Buss and sister of Jeanie Buss.
In his early years as the owner of the Lakers franchise, Buss made a number of significant decisions, most notably drafting Magic Johnson as the first overall choice in the 1979 NBA Draft.
The Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explosive pair led Los Angeles to five championships in the 1980s, and the Lakers soon established themselves as a dynasty. Buss transformed Laker’s contests into events. Prior to using real estate assets to amass his wealth with his buddy and business partner, Frank Mariani, he first worked in the aerospace sector.
Jerry always intended to create a trust to give the Lakers to his children. A spokeswoman for the Buss family stated at the time of his passing that the children had “no interest in ever selling the franchise.”
1. Lee Buss Is The Eldest Adopted Daughter Of Jerry Buss
Lee Buss is the eldest child of Jerry Buss. However, she is adopted and she has written a book named Late for the Buss: An Adoption Story: Finding my birth parents, Jerry & JoAnn Buss.
Her book revolves around her childhood, and her struggles trying to find information about her birth parents. Coming from a celebrity family, she was always in the eyes of the people and media.
She has four other siblings by the names of Johnny, Jim, Jeanie, and Janie Buss. All of her siblings started working for Lakers management after their father’s passing.
2. Lee Buss Was 3 Years Old When She Found Out She Was Adopted
Lee was only 3 years old when she found out that she was adopted. She overheard her teachers talking about her being adopted which was very hurtful for her. It led her to think something was inherently wrong with her.
However, she made up her mind that she wanted to find her biological parents. Also coming from a family of rich background, it was not that difficult for her to track her biological parents.
She used the help of Ancestry.com and tried to track her DNA and find her real parents. Even though she has not revealed detailed information regarding her biological parents, she is very happy to find out who her parents are.
Lee was extremely close to her Buss family as well as her biological family after she united with them. As she grew older, she embraced her past and she is at peace with all the events that happened.
3. Lee Buss Was Not So Sure About Writing Her Book
Lee wanted to write her book but she was also scared of the consequences she might face after the book is published. Considering she was adopted by a rich and known family, she was scared that the book might create misunderstandings among her family.
She had to seek therapy in order to continue writing her book. However, after finishing her therapy, she mustered up the courage to finish the book and publish it.
But to her surprise, everyone took the book very well and they were very happy for her. Today her book has received a lot of good and positive reviews.
Her book talks about her struggles as a child finding out about her being the adopted child in a rich family. The book also talks about all the struggles she faced to find out details about her biological family.
4. Lee Buss Sister Jeanie Buss Became The President Of Forum Of The Lakers
Jeanie took over as general manager of Jerry’s tennis team, the Los Angeles Strings when she was just 19 years old. She was still pursuing her business degree at the University of Southern California at the time. The Lakers’ home arena until 1998 was the Forum, where Jeanie later rose to the position of president.
Since 1995, Jeanie has attended NBA Board of Governors meetings while serving as the President of the Forum and assuming a larger position within the Lakers organization.
She was made the executive vice president of the Lakers a little over four years later, at the age of 41. Jeanie oversaw the business side of the company as executive vice president. Jim, her brother, on the other hand, served as the vice president of basketball operations at one point and oversaw the organization’s basketball division.
5. Lee Buss Had A Hard Time After Her Adopted Father’s Passing
Jerry Buss, who had an unspecified type of cancer, passed away on February 18, 2013, due to renal failure at the age of 80. His passing affected Lee Buss in a drastic way.
In an interview, she explained that she was very close to her adopted father, and he was her hero. Whenever she needed him, he would always be there, and when he passed away, she felt like she lost a crucial part of her life.
This really affected Lee for a long time, and she wanted to find more answers related to her biological parents. She is always grateful for the life her adopted parents gave her.
She does not regret anything from her childhood, and she had a great time writing her part of the story in her book.
Some FAQs
Did Jeanie Buss have an elder sister?
Yes, Lee Klose is the elder sister of Jeanie Buss.
Who is Jerry Buss eldest daughter?
Lee Klose aka Lee Buss is the eldest adopted daughter of Jerry Buss.