Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss laid to rest

A day after the Lakers honored him in a memorial at Nokia Theatre, Lakers owner Dr. Jerry H. Buss was laid to rest Friday morning in a private burial ceremony in front of family and close friends at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills.

Buss, 80, died Monday from an unspecified form of cancer that affected his kidneys. The memorial service in L.A. Live devoted plenty of former and current Lakers, including former players (Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal), current players (Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol), former coaches (Pat Riley, Phil Jackson), former executive (Jerry West), family member (Johnny Buss) and close friends (business partner Frank Mariani and Greg Tomlinson, a friend of Jim Buss).

“It was an incredible ceremony and beautiful way to honor Dr. Buss,” Lakers guard Steve Nash said. “It speaks volumes about the type of person he was and what he meant to this community and the Lakers family. The way he touched people was incredible. He was very bright, charismatic and caring person. I got to meet him once and have a great conversation with him. It really makes me sad.”

In a statement released by the Lakers, the Buss family expressed their “deepest gratitude to the public for their tremendous outpouring of love and support over the past several days.”

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