Jeanie Buss and LeBron James’ name often comes to the spotlight together due to the long history they share. Recently, the two names again came up when reports around LeBron James’ trade started to make rounds on the internet.
It all started when King James was brought to Los Angeles in 2018 to try to get the high-market franchise its 17th title. Meanwhile, Jeanie Buss was also recently in the news for her feud with her family after the Lakers’ high-profile sale.
Jeanie Buss and the Buss family controversy
Buss also has had a storied past with the franchise, after she overtook the franchise as the Governor when her father and former owner of the Lakers, Jerry Buss, died in 2013. The team recently had a change in ownership after Mark Walter, owner of the LA Dodgers of the MLB and the LA Sparks of the WNBA, acquired the Lakers’ majority stakes in a $10 billion deal.
Interestingly, after the transaction, the Lakers decided to let go of all the members of the Buss family, except Jeanie Buss, who was the center of the Walter sale. Brothers Jesse Buss, co-owner and assistant general manager, Joey Buss, another co-owner and Vice President of Research and Development, sister Janie Buss, and other members of the family were fired.
There were several rumors about Jeanie Buss’ involvement in the family feud, but nothing was confirmed, and Jeanie still holds her position within the franchise.
Jeanie Buss-LeBron James beef reportedly goes way back
Jeanie Buss and LeBron James’ feud came to light, as some sources suggested that the Lakers’ franchise was reportedly looking to trade LeBron James. After rumors began swirling on social media, the James and Buss beef started to unravel slowly.
In an explainer, ESPN’s Senior NBA writer Baxter Holmes wrote that the internal tussle between Jeanie Buss and LeBron James went back to when he was drafted. Buss did not like how the forward was touted as a saviour to the failing franchise and his “outsized ego.”
Moreover, James and his agent, Rich Paul’s company, Klutch Sports, reportedly had too much interference in the franchise’s business, and Buss wasn’t happy about it. Russell Westbrook’s tenure with the Lakers, which was also riddled with problems, was reportedly connected to their feud.
Westbrook’s addition to the roster could not provide the desired results for the team, and they eventually decided to trade him after the 2022 season. However, as per the ESPN analyst, James denied any accountability for the trade.
The tussle even seeped into the Bronny James pick in the draft, as Buss even blamed James for not being “grateful” to the franchise for drafting his son. The article also claimed that the management “begrudgingly gave him a contract extension fearing a bad PR hit,” referring to his two-year, $104 million contract extension.
As the internal conflict in the Lakers franchise has now reached the public space, it will be interesting to see how the franchise handles the situation. Will LeBron James Lakers’ run come to an end?
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