Jeanie Buss reportedly resented LeBron James' influence despite his role for Lakers

Cbssports reports that an ESPN feature by Baxter Holmes said Lakers governor Jeanie Buss has privately grumbled about LeBron James' influence, including his "outsized ego and the overt control that he and Klutch Sports, which represents both James and Anthony Davis, exerted over the organization at times." The piece says Buss "privately bristled" about a lack of accountability from James over the Russell Westbrook trade, felt he did not show enough gratitude after the team drafted his son Bronny in 2024, and even at one point in 2022 considered trading James or denying him a contract extension.

Buss has issued a public statement calling it unfair to pull James into her family drama: "It's really not right, given all the great things LeBron has done for the Lakers, that he has to be pulled into my family drama," she said. The reporting and analysis in the piece note that many of Buss' grievances have some basis but also argue that the benefits of employing James outweigh the downsides: he is portrayed as the face of player empowerment, was instrumental in recruiting Anthony Davis, and every team James has played for has won a championship.

The story also recounts broader organizational concerns under Buss since she took over in 2013, noting that in the five full seasons the Lakers played without James they went 126-284 and never made the playoffs, and that questions about hierarchy and decision-making have persisted.

Key Topics

Sports, Jeanie Buss, Lebron James, Klutch Sports, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook Trade