A Chemist and scientist, his
periodic tables (symbols), breaking
newterritory, morphing into
legendary basketball , inventing “Showtime”, the Laker cheerleaders: the
springboard and positioning his Fate to his “Magic” mountain, capturing ten
championships, motivating his players to fulfill their own potential.
A Shangri-la? Magic
Johnson, Kareem, James Worthy, Bryan Scott, Jabbar Wilkes, and Pat Riley in his starring role as coach,
collectively climbing the NBA map of Dr. Jerry Buss’s culture, mesmerizing
power into single-mindedness, mastering the periodic table of chemical
symbols.... a basketball full court press.
When he passed away several days
ago, his legacy: “Showtime” Forum Staples Center street cred determinism was
playing out...a trash talk of playground
hard drives to divine providence... the
promised land.
II
The Chemistry PHD ( the campus
of the Trojan Horse), 1950-4) spent a semester or two, setting the example in
the lab, his neurons transcending that reality scene, for real estate
preponderance, his ultimate quest the
Jack Kent Cooke Lakers: dribbling passing weaving ball handlers, streaming at
Inglewood’s Forum.
The Celtics of Boston, led by
cigar smoking Red Auerbach, had discovered the Shangri-la on those parquet
floor.
Immortals like the Harlem Globe trotters had passed their
Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington torch to “aahs” and “gasps”, leading to man to
man tempos and screens. To befuddle the
defenses.
III
Doctor Buss identified with
these crowd pleasing athletes like the Kansas University 7+ footer the
counterpoint to the Celtics Bill Russell.....
Wilt Chamberlain.
IV
Dr Jerry Buss and his alter egos
brought their million(s) dollar offer to Jack Kent Cooke, the Cooke corporate
group accepting the Chemist come real estatenik’s offer of two hundred million
plus.
Chick Hearn the tv radio voice
was their mouth piece. Ucla’s announcer Sam Balter was into a his pantheon of
discovery. Darwin’s evolution, born a dream at Cambridge University.
Dr Jerry Buss proved that ‘Showtime” was his Galapagos Islands..
V
He identified with “Showtime”
‘s mind boggling celebrities, focusing
his vision, having Jack Nicholson, Gypsy Boots, Dyan Canon, Kirk and Michael Douglas, Dustin Hoffman endorsing
his Chemistry off the charts.... unto the sweat.s.
VI
As his empire grew, he
brought&bought in proven college players.....Jabbar (Lew Alcindor from
coach Wooden’s Ucla immortals), Magic Johnson (Michigan State), Dr Buss crying
when “Magic” his point guard crying, “I got H.I.V, Dr. Buss”)
Shaq O’Neil, Kobe Bryant, coaches Pat Riley, Phil Jackson
Earlier player and general
manager Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich, Norma Nixon, Pat Riley as a
player(Kentucky)
James Worthy, another alter ego
of those Magic Johnson quintets....the fans metamorphosing into a “Tempest”,
Chick Hearn never missing a beat as the
television audiences grew in what was once a a “wasteland” on what was once
orange groves morphing into freeways.
VII
A chemical reaction worthy of any radiation
than Dr Jerry Buss ever had in the USC lab and classroom. Ten championships, capturing the Celtics and their immortals.
Bill Russell, Havilchek, Sam Jones, KC Jones, their radio announcer, and
Auerbach’s cigar and legendary smoke.
.Larry Bird, “The Chief”
and McHale.
Danny Ainge, point guard, become general
manager.
VIII
The inevitable playing out:
cancer and kidney failure, Dr Buss in
intensive care, saw his Chemistry steadfastness realized at the value of one
billion dollars.
At 80, he saw his own alley oops, crashing the boards, in the
paint, give&go, all court vision morphing into his pursuit of his Lakers,
identifying with his “stars”.
NBA President David Stern and Wilt Chamberlain.
Introducing the full court time
clock...bringing the biscuit up from basket to basket... ten second shooting “swish
swish” thru the cords, from downtown, the 3 point morale breaking
“lalapalooza.“
*****
“Coming off the bench”, the sixth man from the campus of the
Trojan Horse(USC), in the guise of a
Chemistry Professor, morphed as a “player” mick named Odysseus.
The city that never sleeps,
February 21, 2013. ...the
Wingate(Midwood) Field blacktops, the feisty Gremlins, the Comets, the East
Midwood nerds from Ocean Avenue East Midwood Center 7 decades ago.
