Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss opened up once again how an NBA owner made an inappropriate act towards her in what she deemed as an act of “bullying” and “intimidation.” Instead of succumbing and backing down, however, Buss stood up for herself.
Buss first revealed the rather alarming incident in her 2010 book “Laker Girl.” The alleged sexual harassment apparently happened in 1995 when she attended her first NBA board of governors meeting, per LA Times. Buss didn't let it ruin her as she fought back and made sure the NBA owner in question was the one to back off.
Now, in her recent interview on In Depth with Graham Bensinger, Buss was asked again about the incident and what she felt during the moment. Buss admitted that she would have “wanted to shrink” at that time had she not had the confidence that her father instilled in her.
“As we were waiting, taking a break from the meeting and everybody's in line for the buffet, for lunch during lunch break, somebody grabs my ass. And I turn around and, you know, I was so shocked,” Buss shared (h/t New York Post).
“But it was like, if I didn't have the confidence that my dad put in me, that was a moment where I wanted to shrink and to be nothing, that I would have, you know, gotten sick and said, ‘I gotta go.' Do I really belong here? You know, I'm just really not one of the group, like I'm been singled out. It made me really self conscious.”
When inquired what she did after that, Jeanie Buss said that she gave the owner a “dirty look” and signaled for him to “back off.” She proceeded to stay in her room after that, during which she admitted that she realized she “might not be able to gain the respect of the existing ownership groups.”
At that point, Buss made it her mission to help those who will come after her as NBA team owners.
“But everybody that came after me, I could help them in the room because they'd be new — they'd be the the new person,” the Lakers boss added. “So the next new person was Mark Cuban. And I made sure that from day one, I put my hand out to him and said like, ‘Hey, if I can help you understand any of this stuff, if there's any questions, like here's my number. Call me now and I'll help you, and I'll support you.'”
Jeanie Buss has certainly done well as an NBA owner despite the incident, with the Lakers finding success over the years and continuing to be one of the most valuable franchises in the league under her guidance.
Of course what happened to her shouldn't have happened in the first place. Nonetheless, Buss definitely proved that she has what it takes to lead an NBA team with the confidence she showed during that moment.