Sports Spotlight

Sports Spotlight

Hugh Hefner Remembers Jerry Buss as ‘Dear and Very Special Man,’ Recalls Visits to Playboy Mansion

by on Thu, Feb 21, 2013 at 11:26PM

FILE: Lakers Owner Jerry Buss Dies At 60Whatever your feelings on the Lakers, there are fewer greater Americans than Jerry Buss. Raised poor by a single mother in Wyoming, Buss went on to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry from USC before dominating the real estate market and buying the Lakers and Kings.

No great American story would be complete without a visit to the Playboy Mansion, and indeed Buss was there — multiple times, in fact.

“I was caught before this interview trying to remember exactly how our paths initially crossed and I suppose it was probably Playboy parties,”  magazine mogul Hugh Hefner said of Buss in an interview with ESPN Los Angeles on Thursday. “That’s where most of my social gatherings are connected to at the mansion. I was also repaid the pleasure by going to a number of Lakers games over the years as a guest of Jerry’s and sitting in his box.”

The founder of Playboy magazine recalls Buss as a “very dear and very special” man in his interview with Max and Marcellus. Hefner said that Buss brought the flair of Hollywood into the arena, and that’s one of the reasons the Lakers were successful.

On more personal topics, Hefner wasn’t as forthcoming when asked how big of a playboy Buss was. However, the 86-year-old that Buss did have a certain reputation none to dissimilar to his own.

“He, as I have tried to do over the years, defied the limitations in terms of age and it was more than simply — he was young for his years and he had as many female friends as males, but he had a great many male friends, too,” said Hefner.

Moreover, Hefner went on to say in the interview that their common friendship was not based on business, publishing or basketball, but their love of socializing.

“The common connection was the socializing, and as I said before, I don’t remember how exactly we met, but I think it was probably at a Playboy party and we threw a lot of them and he was at a lot of them.”

Photo of the Night

Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!

Jimmy Howard, Vinny Prospal

Quote of the Night

“It’s not a question of if we make the playoffs. We will. And when we get there, I have no fear of anyone — Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Denver … whoever. I have zero nervousness about that.”
–Kobe Bryant being much, much more confident than he probably should be

Tweet of the Night

Good memory.

Video of the Night

For the record, yes, this kid (amazingly) ended up no worse for the wear.


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