The Los Angeles Lakers will be taking the floor for the first time since the death of owner Jerry Buss and it's only fitting that they take on their rivals the Boston Celtics at 10:30 p.m. ET.
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The Lakers (25-29) have long been one of the world's premier sports franchises, and much of the credit goes to Buss, who died at 80 from kidney failure on Monday. A memorial service will be held Thursday across from Staples Center at Nokia Theatre, and he'll be honored Wednesday before tip-off.
After Buss purchased the team in 1979, he turned it into a spectacle dubbed "Showtime," led by Hall of Famers Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal later helped usher in another era of dominance for a star-studded franchise befitting of the searing Hollywood spotlight.
The Lakers won 10 of 16 NBA Finals under Buss, the most of any team in that span. However, his business savvy, knack for promotion and willingness to acquire some of the best players in basketball history made the Lakers into the NBA's first global brand.
"Think about the impact that he's had on the game and the decisions he's made, and the brand of basketball he brought here with Showtime and the impact that had on the sport as a whole," Bryant said. "Those vibrations were felt to a kid all the way in Italy who was 6 years old, before basketball was even global. His impact is felt worldwide."
Buss' impact will be felt Wednesday, especially against the Celtics (28-25).
Both teams haven't seemed capable of reaching those lofty expectations this season, but the Lakers may be the bigger disappointment. They're 10th in the Western Conference, 3 1/2 games back of Houston for the eighth and final playoff position.
The Lakers also lost three of four to the Los Angeles Clippers, dropping the season series to their historically lowly neighbors the first time since 1992-93 after falling 125-101 on Feb. 14 before entering the break.
Bryant has been doing his part, ranking fourth in the league with 26.8 points per game, and lately he's tried to get others involved. While he's averaging 18.4 points over the past 12 games, the All-Star guard has 8.5 assists per game after dishing out 11 against the Clippers.
He's averaged 28.7 points over the past 12 meetings with Boston, including seven in the 2010 Finals.
Bryant's 27 points weren't enough in the latest meeting Feb. 7, when Los Angeles lost 116-95 on the road.