Le Journal

On Wednesday morning, an article by Baxter Holmes on ESPN portrayed Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss in a negative light. The story had details into the sale of the team that made her look like a cutthroat businessperson who got rid of her family, and also gave her inner circle huge bonuses once the deal was finalized. It also stated that her relationship with the franchise’s biggest star, while she’s been in charge, LeBron James, isn’t a good one. According to Holmes’ reporting, Buss “began to turn” against LeBron James and considered trading him to the Clippers in 2022. Jeanie didn’t delay responding to this article, telling “The Athletic” that she didn’t like LeBron’s involvement in her family drama and that she appreciates the star. Lakers governor Jeanie Buss issued this statement to @TheAthletic in response to today’s ESPN story, which includes reporting about her relationship with LeBron James. “It’s really not right, given all the great things LeBron has done for the Lakers, that he has to be pulled…— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) January 21, 2026 So much to unpack here. For starters, it’s good that Jeanie said something. She could’ve just let this hang and put LeBron in the awkward position of having to speak on it, which would’ve been unfair since it was really a story about Jeanie and the Buss family. However, how much Lakers fans agree with her words compared to the reporting will be up to public opinion. She doesn’t have to answer for everything stated in the story, but the idea that the Lakers considered parting with LeBron isn’t too far-fetched. In 2022, the year in which Holmes’ article indicates the Lakers considered dealing LeBron, there were reports that Phil Jackson might’ve been brought back to the Lakers and that he would want to trade James. Now, ultimately, that didn’t happen, but there was smoke to this story before, and while LeBron was never dealt, it seems likely that the idea was at least considered. In the NBA, countless trade conversations amount to nothing. If there was a thought from Jeanie to trade LeBron, she clearly never went through with it. It’s hard to decipher if she appreciates LeBron enough privately, but publicly, she’s sung his praises. Jeanie called it a “priority” for LeBron to retire as a Laker. This summer, Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka echoed similar sentiments. Still, that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been jealousy or envy from the Lakers about how much credit LeBron gets for the 2020 title, or how much blame he does or doesn’t get for a lack of one since. Jeanie is working on her PR spin on this story, and her on-the-record statement is that she appreciates LeBron. Her future actions will likely also support her claim. My guess is that Lakers fans can expect a jersey retirement for LeBron and a statue outside of Crypto.com Arena once his playing days are over. And, even if every word in Holmes’ story is accurate, it’s not necessarily a bad thing for the Jeanie-LeBron dynamic. The Lakers’ Governor wouldn’t be the first boss, nor the last, to not appreciate what her best worker does for her organization. The difference is that this is the Lakers, and every ounce of drama gets massive attention, making it very messy. While Jeanie has denounced this reporting, don’t expect this story to go away anytime soon. You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

Austin Reaves hasn’t played in 2026 due to this Grade 2 calf strain, but that will soon change. Reaves’ four-week absence due to this injury will be up soon, and Lakers head coach JJ Redick gave a positive update on his guard before the Lakers played the Nuggets on Tuesday. Redick indicated that Reaves’ recovery has been going well and that he would return to play during LA’s current road trip. JJ Redick says Austin Reaves is “progressing well” and will return to the lineup sometime during the Lakers’ 8-game road trip. Some good news for the Lakers, who have been without Reaves because of a left calf strain since Christmas.— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 21, 2026 The Lakers’ eight-game road trip is set to end on Feb. 1, so barring a setback, Reaves will be back by that date at the latest. This calf situation has been an issue for Reaves all year long. Earlier in the season, Reaves missed a week of play due to a mild calf strain. The Lakers claimed they were being “cautious” with the injury, but he returned for just two games before suffering his most recent setback. Once Reaves does return, the Lakers will get back one of their best players. This season, Reaves is averaging 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. Those are all career-highs for the five-year player. When he’s back in the lineup, the Lakers can finally see what they can be with their big three featuring LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Reaves. So far, this trio has played together in just eight games, totaling 140 minutes. While Reaves being back is great news, he did lose the opportunity for any individual glory due to his time off. Revaes has already missed 19 games, making him officially ineligible for any end-of-season awards. It seems unfair that Reaves will be unable to qualify for All-NBA accolades due to missing games, since his play certainly warrants such prestige. But those are the rules, at least for now. Considering how much of a team player Reaves is, he likely doesn’t care about those awards and is just thrilled to be returning to play for the purple and gold. With nearly half of the season left, there is still time for Reaves to have a successful year and give the Lakers the best chance at being playoff contenders. You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

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When Joey and Jesse Buss were unexpectedly fired from their front-office positions in late 2025, it became clear how strained the relationship was between the youngest Buss siblings and Jeanie. But it was made clearer on Wednesday just how bad things have gotten. Baxter Holmes of ESPN published a piece on the Buss family and the crumbling dynamic between them. To fully understand the most damning part of the story, though, some context is required. During Dr. Jerry Buss’ first marriage, he made a promise to his then-wife, JoAnn, that he would not have children with anyone else. The need to clarify it as his first message, though, should give you an idea of how that played out. While Johnny, Janie, Jim and Jeanie all came from that marriage, Joey and Jesse did not. Eventually, Janie and Jeanie learned of this promise, which lays out the details before Holmes details a phone call between Jeanie and Jesse around the time of the press conference after the Anthony Davis trade in 2019. It’s not clear when Jeanie learned about the promise between JoAnn and her father, but when she spoke over the phone with Jesse on that 2019 call, in what multiple sources with knowledge of it say marked a sharp pivot from the topic of the Davis news conference, she brought it up. Given that promise between her mother and father, Jeanie told Jesse, “You should’ve never been born.” What a truly shocking thing to say. For some time, it felt like Joey and Jesse were the two siblings closest to Jeanie, but one can hardly imagine that being the case after those words and that telephone call. Not shockingly, those remarks rang through the team’s front office and the Buss family. News of Jeanie’s comments on the call with Jesse soon made the rounds within the organization and to Joey. “It’s mind-blowing that she would say that,” said someone on the team who became aware of the remarks. “I don’t care who you are. You don’t say that to somebody else.” Said another: “Why would that ever get thrown into somebody’s face? I don’t know.” Of Jeanie’s alleged remark to Jesse, Janie said, “I can’t imagine my sister saying that, but that was the truth. They [Jerry and JoAnn] did have an understanding.” An obvious but ominous dynamic had revealed itself from that call, people close to the family told ESPN — the remark was perhaps a sign of something more, a deep-rooted resentment that for decades had lingered. “That,” someone close to the family said, “was the beginning of the end.” Ultimately, Joey and Jesse stuck around the franchise for some time after those remarks before being fired by Jeanie late in 2025. The strong remarks from Joey and Jesse at the time were understandable considering how blindsided everyone was by the news, but given the added layer of this tension simmering just underneath, it’s a shock that the response from them wasn’t stronger. The whole story from Holmes also details just how much drama there has been with the franchise because of the Buss family. Even if most of the family is already out of the front office, this should serve as the final straw and hopefully push Mark Walter to remove Jeanie from her position and rid this franchise of the Buss family at last. You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

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