Report: Lakers Owner Jerry Buss Hospitalized, May Be Dying of Cancer

by Zach Stoloff on Thu, Feb 14, 2013 at 8:08PM

Early Thursday evening, multiple reports were released indicating Lakers owner Jerry Buss, 79, had been hospitalized in Los Angeles.

Buss checked into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center some time on Thursday and is in the intensive care unit, as first reported by the Los Angeles Times. While the Times still refers to Buss as having an “undisclosed illness,” multiple other outlets have confirmed that Buss has cancer. In fact, the Orange County Register has said it previously knew of Buss’ disease, but declined to print it due to respect for the Buss family.

A report from Radar Online, which cites “a source close to the situation,” claims that Buss is essentially on his death bed. The report states that “Lakers players have been calling with well-wishes and even stopping by to see him in what they expect to be his final days.”

Buss has been the owner of the Lakers since 1979, but in recent years had passed day-to-day operation of the team onto his children. He was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2010.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Jerry Buss