Jerry Buss, the Los Angeles Lakers' owner who shepherded the NBA franchise to 10 championships, has died at age 79. Buss bought the club in 1979 and acquired, nurtured and befriended a staggering array of talent during his Hall of Fame tenure, starting with his first draft pick, Magic Johnson. Ref. USAToday
The NBA postponed Tuesday's game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers - the Lakers' first game since the death of Kobe Bryant. "The decision was made out of respect for the Lakers organization, which is deeply grieving the tragic loss of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven other people in a helicopter crash on Sunday," the league said in a statement. Ref. USAToday.
Los Angeles Lakers win their 17th championship with a 106-93 victory against the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. The Lakers are back atop the NBA after a decade-long absence, dominating the Heat in an anti-climactic Finals game and wrapping up an NBA season that moved to a "Bubble" during the coronavirus pandemic. Ref. USAToday.