LOS ANGELES (February 18, 2013)--Los Angeles Lakers' owner Jerry Buss died Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he had been hospitalized for cancer, spokesman Bob Steiner said.

Buss was 80.

The immediate cause of death was kidney failure, Steiner said.

Buss shepherded the NBA franchise to 10 championships, transforming the Lakers into Southern California's most beloved sports franchise and a worldwide extension of Hollywood glamor after buying the club in 1979.

Buss acquired, nurtured and befriended a staggering array of talent during his Hall of Fame tenure.

With Buss' leadership and lavish spending, the Lakers won five championships during the 1980s Showtime dynasty and added five more in an 11-year span of Kobe Bryant's career.