The Los Angeles Lakers found themselves at the center of attention on Wednesday.
An ESPN story on the record-breaking $10 billion sale of the franchise by the Buss family to Mark Walter and his ownership group detailed how infighting among the Buss family led to the sale. The story also included reporting about issues in the relationship between Jeanie Buss and LeBron James, chronicling frustrations in recent years that the former owner and current governor had with James and his longtime agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul.
Among the items that irked Buss, according to the story, were James’ ego and the influence that he and Klutch had within the franchise, an influence that was outsized in part because the agency also represented star forward Anthony Davis.
In a statement to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Buss said it was unfortunate that her star player was pulled into the story.
“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,” Buss told Amick. “To say that it wasn’t appreciated is just not true and completely unfair to him.”
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
Still, it’s no secret that the relationship has often been strained in recent years.
While James and Davis led the Lakers to the bubble title in 2020, there was still no shortage of disappointment for the organization before and after that peak moment. The challenging dynamics between James/Paul and the Lakers have resurfaced from time to time, including a meeting among all parties in 2022 that was intended to clear the air. What’s more, James’ penchant for sharing his discontent about the Lakers’ state of affairs — on the record and through other media means — has long been known to be a point of frustration for Buss.
The arrival of Luka Dončić in early February 2025 changed the power dynamics surrounding the Lakers, as Davis was sent to the Mavericks in the deal. And because Dončić is not represented by Klutch, but by Bill Duffy of WME, that was seen by Lakers officials as a welcome decentralization of influence when it came to their top two co-stars. The new reality between James and the Lakers was on full display last summer, when — as The Athletic reported at the time — he was not given an extension offer before deciding to pick up his player option for this season.
After the Lakers’ sale was finalized in the offseason, Buss was named the team’s governor and is expected to retain that title for at least five seasons. In November, she fired two brothers with high-ranking roles, Joey (vice president of research and development) and Jesse (assistant general manager). She also fired her brothers Jim and Johnny, as well as her sister Janie.
In recent years, the Lakers have struggled mapping out a long-term strategy beyond their acquisition of Dončić. Since winning that 2020 NBA championship, they rank 13th in win percentage. They have used two first-round draft picks on players who are either no longer on the team (Jalen Hood-Schifino) or on the team but out of the rotation (Dalton Knecht). They used a second-round pick on James’ oldest son, Bronny, who is not a contributor, and have been eliminated from the first round of the playoffs in three of their last four appearances.
LeBron James missed the first 14 games of this season, his record-setting 23rd in the NBA, during which the Lakers went 10-4 and had the league’s fifth-best record. Since Nov. 18, when James made his season debut, the Lakers are 16-12 and are tied for the ninth-best mark in the league over that span. Despite being tied for the NBA’s sixth-best record, the Lakers entered Wednesday ranked 17th in overall net rating (minus-0.4), according to NBA.com.
A key element of the Lakers’ performance this season has been the inconsistency of their star trio: James, Dončić and Austin Reaves, the latter of whom hasn’t played since a 119-96 loss to the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day. When those three players have shared the court this season, the Lakers have a net rating of minus-9.8 in 140 minutes. That figure would rank 29th among all teams over a full season.
In recent weeks, Paul has made headlines by suggesting a hypothetical trade in which the Lakers could acquire Memphis Grizzlies big man and 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. by trading Reaves. That led James to publicly state that Paul speaks only for himself on such matters. The 41-year-old James, who is on a player option worth $52.6 million this season, has not addressed his long-term future.
— The Athletic’s Sam Amick contributed to this story.
