Emotional Dennis Rodman speaks about Jerry Buss

Dennis Rodman teared up talking about his love for Lakers owner Jerry Buss, someone he called a father.

“He’s just like my dad. It’s just like damn man. I didn’t want to bring this up. He’s like a dad, I never had a dad. He was just awesome man.”

Buss passed away Monday after a long bout with cancer. He was 80 years old. Rodman’s time with the Lakers was brief–23 games in the 1998-1999 season. As was the case for many who knew Buss, his influence went far beyond the basketball court. Something Rodman obviously felt in his short time there.