A new report suggests that there is a growing rift between LeBron James and Los Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss.
An extensive report on Buss from Baxter Holmes of ESPN highlighted the family infighting among her family that led the team to sell majority control of the team to Mark Walter last year.
Among the many revelations of that report was the allegation that Buss has begun to "turn" against LeBron. Per the report, Buss has taken issue with James' "outsized ego" and his relationship with Klutch Sports. She further took issue with the perception of James as a "savior" for the organization as well as the highly-controversial trade for Russell Westbrook several years ago.
"And team sources told ESPN she even began to turn against the Lakers' star player, LeBron James," Holmes wrote.
"Jeanie privately grumbled, people close to the team say, about what she felt was James' outsized ego and the overt control that he and Klutch Sports, which represents both James and Anthony Davis, exerted over the organization at times.
"She didn't like that James was considered a savior for a floundering franchise when he arrived in 2018 and that it was he who chose the Lakers rather than the team's leadership receiving praise for landing him. Team sources have been adamant for years that James' camp informed the Lakers as early as 2017 that he was coming to join them when he became a free agent the following year.
"The distance between Jeanie and James widened after the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook in July 2021, people close to the team said. The team had made the trade in an effort to appease James, but the acquisition backfired in catastrophic fashion. L.A. went 33-49 and missed the playoffs, and James seemed to wash his hands of his role in the acquisition."
Buss vs. LeBron
Fans on social media found the whole situation fascinating, with many remarking that the internal turmoil on the Lakers is a sign that maybe sports franchises shouldn't be passed down to children:
"Jeanie firing her sister right before retirement is cold. then it’s very odd Jeanie didn’t open up the sale of the lakers to get the best offer but once I read she is locked in for 5 years plus the bonuses it all made sense," one user remarked.
"Family fights aren't unique to the buss family. But to tell the 2 younger brother's they shouldn't have been born is a tough look," wrote another.
"Feel like some of this info was probably given by one or the brothers that are bitter," a third wrote.
Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The Buss family's sale of the Lakers to Walter will allow Buss to stay on as team governor for several years. Though by the time she's out, LeBron will most likely have retired.
The 2025-26 Lakers season might not have the kind of feel-good ending that the late-great Kobe Bryant had even if they finish strong.
As of writing, the Lakers are 26-16.