Jeanie Buss Chafed at LeBron James’ Influence Inside Lakers, ESPN Reports
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Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss has privately pushed back against what she views as LeBron James’ outsized sway within the organization, according to an in-depth report by ESPN’s Baxter Holmes.
Unnamed team and league sources told ESPN that Buss felt James and his representation at Klutch Sports exercised excessive influence over basketball decisions. The tension reportedly intensified after the July 2021 trade that brought Russell Westbrook to Los Angeles—a move widely perceived as designed to satisfy James. The Lakers finished that season 33-49 and missed the playoffs, and Buss is said to believe James never fully accepted responsibility for advocating the deal.
ESPN’s reporting indicates Buss was also unhappy with public perceptions that framed James as the franchise’s savior following his 2018 arrival. Team executives reportedly felt their own role in landing the four-time MVP was overlooked.
Relations cooled to the point that Buss considered trading James during the 2022 season after initially declining to offer him an extension, ESPN added. Although she eventually signed off on a new deal in the summer of 2024, sources said the decision was driven largely by a desire to avoid the public relations fallout of losing the league’s most high-profile star.
Tension allegedly resurfaced when the Lakers selected Bronny James with the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, setting up the NBA’s first father-son tandem. People close to the team told ESPN that Buss expected appreciation for the gesture but instead felt overlooked.
James ultimately exercised his $52.6 million player option for the 2024-25 season, which could be his final year in Los Angeles. On the court, the Lakers are 26-16 and fifth in the Western Conference, with James averaging 22.5 points per game. Off it, the organization continues to navigate reported family discord within the Buss ownership group amid a pending $10 billion sale of the franchise to Dodgers owner Mark Walter.
Source: Hoops Wire
