There have been a number of amazing tandems to grace the Los Angeles Lakers franchise throughout its storied history. Hall of Fame duos such as Jerry West & Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson & Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant & Shaquille O'Neal, and most recently, LeBron James & Anthony Davis have all been title-winning pairings across different decades. But there was another intriguing couple that Lakers fans kept their eye on over the years – Jeanie Buss and Phil Jackson.
The now-Lakers owner and the former Lakers coach first started dating way back in 1999 and got engaged back in 2012. Although things didn't work out in the end, Jeanie Buss revealed in a feature with the New York Times what first got her knees weak about her former fiancee:
Via The New York Times' Jon Gold:
“He’s this person I never thought I’d be attracted to, but the second I met him, there was something about his voice,” the Lakers owner said. “I was just like, ‘Who is this guy?’ All I knew was he was this kind of eccentric coach of the Bulls, and then he becomes the most important relationship in my life.”
It was all in the voice for the Zen Master. The voice is certainly an underrated trait, but one that really struck a chord with the Lakers owner. Buss and Jackson's relationship lasted nearly two decades, but the latter's decision to move to the East coast and take a job with the New York Knicks ultimately became the death knell for their relationship.
The two announced the end of their engagement on Twitter back in 2016, with Jeanie Buss admitting that the Lakers are her true first love.
“The love of my life is the Los Angeles Lakers. I love Phil & will always. It's not fair to him or Lakers to not have my undivided attention.”
The love of my life is the Los Angeles Lakers. I love Phil & will always. It's not fair to him or Lakers to not have my undivided attention
— Jeanie Buss (@JeanieBuss) December 28, 2016
— Phil Jackson (@PhilJackson11) December 28, 2016
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