LOS ANGELES -- Magic Johnson considered himself to be the adopted son of Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss. Shaquille ONeal hailed Buss for his foresight, while Kobe Bryant cited Buss ability to convince people to believe in him. Jerry West remembered a party-loving Buss who never went to bed, making it easy to be the first one at work in the morning. They were among the basketball greats gathered Thursday at an invitation-only memorial service to salute the life and legacy of Buss, who died this week at 80 after an 18-month struggle with cancer. The stage at the Nokia Theatre across from Staples Center was bedecked with all 10 of the NBA championship trophies won by the Lakers under Buss and more than 30 floral arrangements. Photos of Buss throughout his life flashed on a video screen. Johnson punctuated the 1 1/2-hour service by getting the audience on its feet, clapping and cheering for Buss. "He didnt like it sad, he wanted it to be fun," Johnson said. ONeal recalled Buss bringing him on the floor at the Forum in Inglewood and telling him to look up at the championship banners in the rafters. "He told me, Son, we expect big things out of you and some 18-year-old kid we just signed, Kobe Bryant," ONeal told the audience, which filled about half of the 7,000-seat venue. ONeal and Bryant certainly delivered, teaming to win three titles despite their personal discord. "He gave me everything I wanted," ONeal said of Buss. "I wanted one extension, he gave it to me. I wanted a second extension, he gave it to me. I wanted a third extension, he traded me." Johnson told of arriving in Los Angeles and not knowing anyone as a 19-year-old drafted by the Lakers out of Michigan State. "God knew I needed a father figure," he said, explaining how Buss quickly filled the role by taking Johnson to his first boxing match in Las Vegas, his first tennis match, and his first horse race at Hollywood Park across from the Forum. "I said, Dr. Buss, Im a black man from Lansing, Michigan. We dont know anything about horse racing," Johnson said, drawing laughs. "I went and enjoyed myself." After the Los Angeles Kings acquired Wayne Gretzky in a blockbuster deal in 1988, Johnson reluctantly attended his first hockey game, telling Buss, "Brothers dont skate." Buss replied, "The way you play basketball that man plays hockey. I want you to see the Magic man of hockey." But it wasnt until Johnsons 1992 public admission that he had HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, did he realize how Buss really felt about him. "As we cried for hours, him not knowing I would be here 22 years later, he picked up the phone and started calling hospitals to make sure I had the best health care possible and the best doctors," Johnson said. "Thats when I knew this man cared for me outside of basketball, outside of making no-look passes." Among the other speakers were NBA commissioner David Stern, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Phil Jackson, Pau Gasol (who spoke in Spanish) and Pat Riley. Jackson, now engaged to Buss daughter Jeanie, recalled the summer of 2008 when a fed-up Bryant went public with his trade demand. "Jerry listened to the demands of Kobe and his agent," Jackson said. "He said, Theres no equal value we can get for you. He prevailed and we won two more championships." When it was Bryants turn at the mic, he said the biggest summer for him was 2006 when Buss asked what he thought of Jackson returning for a second stint coaching the Lakers. Bryant was hesitant. "He just looked at me and said, Trust me, and I did and that took us to another level winning two championships," he said. "He had this ability to convince you to follow him." West first met Buss in 1979, having already worked for two previous owners of the Lakers, including Jack Kent Cooke, who sold the team to Buss. West had to get used to Buss lust for life that included hard work and heartier partying. He recalled one celebration in which Buss had forgotten his credit card and asked West to pick up a tab that included $8,000 for champagne alone. Another time he was out with Buss and work ethic was being discussed. "He never went to bed so how the hell could he not be the first one to work?" West said. Johnny Buss, the oldest of the six Buss children, spoke on behalf of the family. He mentioned his fathers penchant for wearing jeans cut off at the bottom. "They would fringe and I caught him one time combing the bottom of the fringe," he said, suggesting that on every Jan. 27 -- his fathers birthday -- people don jeans with the bottom cut off in Jerrys honour. The younger Buss provided insight into life with his father, who loved travel, wine, poker, books, classical music and movies. He called him "a man who would take us on an incredible journey that no one could ever imagine." "Not everything went right but because he was always thinking ahead, everything became right," Johnny Buss said. "He never had to step on anyone to get ahead. He surrounded himself with good people. He loved L.A. and as we can see L.A. loved him, too." The audience included the current Lakers team, Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor and Bill Walton, former Lakers coach Rudy Tomjanovich, former Lakers Byron Scott, A.C. Green and Cedric Ceballos, retired Los Angeles Sparks star Lisa Leslie, former Southern California athletic director Mike Garrett, longtime Lakers fan Dyan Cannon, and Los Angeles Kings broadcasters Bob Miller and Jim Fox. The speeches were interspersed with performances, including nine members of the USC band playing "Amazing Grace." Randy Newman, whose iconic "I Love LA" anthem is played at every Lakers game, sang his hit "Youve Got a Friend in Me" from the movie "Toy Story." Davis Gaines sang a number from "Phantom of the Opera." Johnson ended the memorial with a plea to Buss six children who control a majority stake in the team. "Please Buss family, do not ever sell the Lakers, and win more championships," said Johnson, who owns a share of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Buss is to be buried Friday in a private service. . The pair replace Dustin Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom, who wore the letters last year. Andrew Ladd remains the captain of the Jets. [url=http://www.cheapjerseysfromchinastore.us/NBA-Jerseys-ln-15_New-York-Knicks-... New York Knicks Jerseys . Play hard, play tough and play rough. The philosophy has been a lesson in frustration for opponents. http://www.cheapjerseysfromchinas... . With New York hit hard by Superstorm Sandy, the Knicks game scheduled for Thursday in Brooklyn was postponed, and Heat players thought theirs would follow. Instead, they flew from Miami on Thursday afternoon and arrived in their New York hotel after a three-hour bus ride from nearby Newark, N. [url=http://www.cheapjerseysfromchinastore.us/Soccer-Club-zm-95_Club-De-Futbol-A... Club De Futbol America Jerseys . So rather than shop himself, he is staying put in Chicago. The veteran right-hander and the White Sox agreed Tuesday to a $29 million, two-year contract. . The Eskimos (5-8) lost all five games they played in the month, including Fridays 39-15 setback to the Calgary Stampeders (8-5). COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Olympians Rebecca Johnston and Haley Irwin have been nominated for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the player of the year in NCAA Division I womens hockey. Johnston, from Sudbury, Ont., is a senior forward at Cornell University while Irwin is a senior forward at the University of Minnesota Duluth. They won gold for Canada at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. Jennifer Wakefield of Pickering, Ont., (Boston University) and Natalie Spooner of Toronto (Ohio State) were also on the list of 30 nominated players announced Monday by USA Hockey. Wakefield and Spooner have also played on the Canadian team. The early list of 21 forwards, five defencemen and four goaltenders will be narrowed down to 10 on March 1. A 13-member selection committee will choose the three finalists on March 8 and the winner will be named March 17.dddddddddddd The other Canadian nominees include Christine Bestland of Brunkild, Man. (Mercyhurst College), Bailey Bram of Ste. Anne, Man. (Mercyhurst), Laura Fortino of Hamilton, Ont. (Cornell University), Thea Imbrogno of Toronto (Robert Morris University), Brianne Jenner of Oakville, Ont. (Cornell), Jamie Lee Rattray of Ottawa (Clarkson University), Lauriane Rougeau of Beaconsfield, Que. (Cornell), Kelly Sabatine of Hamilton, Ont. (St. Lawrence University) and Rebecca Vint of Caledon, Ont. (Robert Morris). American forward Meghan Duggan of the University of Wisconsin took the honour last year. The award is named after the late Patty Kazmaier, who was an all-Ivy League defenceman at Princeton University from 1981 to 1986. She died in February 1990 at age 28 following a long struggle with a rare blood disease. [url=http://www.odellbeckhamjrjersey.com/royal-blue-steve-weatherford-giants-jer... Weatherford Jersey ' ' '

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