Lakers governor Jeanie Buss pushed back on an ESPN report about the family drama that led to the sale of the Lakers, specifically the part that said she had grown frustrated with LeBron James and even floated the idea of trading him in the wake of the disastrous Russell Westbrook trade. Here is what Jeanie wrote to The Athletic’s Sam Amick.
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.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) January 21, 2026
“It’s really not right, given all the great things LeBron has done for the Lakers, that he has to be pulled…
LeBron’s agent and longtime friend Rich Paul was a lot less diplomatic when asked his thoughts on the report during the latest episode of the Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul podcast (hat tip Bleacher Report).
“Who gives a s***. I don’t, right? You don’t know what’s true, what’s not true. But where there’s smoke, there’s fire. I seen some of the stuff that came out about it and obviously they talked about different scenarios in terms of power that we may have. Here’s all I know. There’s an appreciation for guys like Michael Irvin, there should be, our legends. And there damn sure should be appreciation for a guy like LeBron.”
There has been some tension around LeBron and the Lakers in the last year, more tied to the franchise turning the page to Luka Doncic and the future — this is the first time in his career that LeBron was not the primary focal point of the organization he was a part of. Buss and Warriors owner Joe Lacob had some talk about a LeBron trade, although that didn’t go anywhere it speaks to where the relationship is.
LeBron’s relationship with the Buss family — and, to a degree, with Lakers fans — is very different than the ones that Kobe Bryant or Magic Johnson had. That may be a function of the modern NBA and LeBron coming in with an established brand more than anything else, but things have not always been smooth. There has been frustration on both sides. How much that frustration impacted things is up for debate, maybe Buss floated a LeBron trade internally but ultimately he got his max contract extension and no trade clause. The Lakers and LeBron stayed in business together.
With new ownership and LeBron at the end of his career, all that may now be changing. And with that comes a new, and maybe increased, tension.
LeBron has yet to speak about this but likely will on Thursday when the Lakers travel across town to face the Clippers at the Intuit Dome.
