NBA owner’s sexual harassment is revealed by Lakers’ Jeanie Buss, who says, “Somebody grab my ass.”
Owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, Jeanie Buss, revealed once more how an NBA owner had behaved inappropriately toward her, accusing her of “bullying” and “intimidation.” But Buss defended herself, refusing to give in or back down.
The somewhat concerning occurrence was first made public by Buss in her 2010 book “Laker Girl.” According to the LA Times, the alleged sexual harassment reportedly occurred in 1995 when she went to her first NBA board of governors meeting. Buss fought back and made sure the NBA owner in issue was the one to back off, refusing to let it destroy her.
In a recent interview with Graham Bensinger on In Depth, Buss was questioned once more on the incident and her emotions at the time. Buss said that if her father hadn’t given her the confidence she possessed at the time, she would have “wanted to shrink.”
During lunch break, when we were waiting in line for the buffet and having a break from the meeting, someone grabbed my behind. And I was so astonished when I turned around,” Buss said (source: New York Post).
But I felt like I would have shrunk and become nothing at that point if my dad hadn’t given me the confidence I did; I would have, you know, gotten sick and said, ‘I have go.'” Do I actually fit in here? As you can see, I feel like I’ve been singled out and am not truly a part of the group. I felt incredibly self-conscious about it.
Jeanie Buss responded that she gave the owner a “dirty look” and gestured for him to “back off” when asked what she did next. After that, she stayed in her room and said she understood that she “might not be able to gain the respect of the existing ownership groups.”
From that moment on, Buss dedicated her life to serving the next generation of NBA club owners.
The Lakers president continued, “But everyone that came after me, I could help them in the room because they’d be new — they’d be the new person.” Mark Cuban was the subsequent newcomer. And I made sure that, right from the start, I extended my hand to him and said, “Hey, if I can help you understand any of this stuff, like here’s my number,” or something similar. Give me a call right now, and I’ll be there for you.
