Actor John C. Reilly went on "The Late Show" last night to discuss “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” on HBO, where he portrays late Lakers Owner Jerry Buss. Reilly noted Buss “not only changed the NBA, he changed the whole world of entertainment. If you look at professional sports now Jerry brought cheerleaders to professional basketball games, didn't exist before that." Reilly: "Before Jerry got involved in the game it was like everyone thought it was an athletic event, like it was about rebounds and jock straps or something, and he was like, ‘No, it's about entertainment, and when people come here we want them to be happy and we’re going to have music, and we’re going have dancers."
Reilly: "Even something as simple as being in debt to the Great Western Bank, he’s like, ‘I’ll name the stadium after you. How about that?’ He was the first guy to do that.” Reilly said Buss “created kind of stadium entertainment in 1979" ( “The Late Show,” CBS, 3/8).
