Orange County Register

LOS ANGELES — Back when it became apparent that Jerry Buss wasn’t going to Orlando for the possible Lakers clincher in the NBA Finals, I asked Lakers spokesman John Black what was up with that. Buss’ response, via Black, was meant for amusement: “It’s no fun going to away games when the crowd is cheering against the best team.”

Buss explained his absence further Sunday night, when he and son Jim sat down with reporters.

“I’m getting a little older, and I guess during something like that I become very animated and use sometimes questionable language,” Buss said. “In this particular case, I thought it was going to be a very tough tussle and I wanted to be kind of free to jump up and down and scream and kick things.

“I talked Jimmy into staying with me, and I had (daughter) Jeanie with me. It became kind of a family affair in our room where we could all shout and holler without making a spectacle of ourselves.”

Buss’ son, Joey, wound up accepting the trophy for the family after Game 5 in Orlando.

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