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.
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.
