Overview
- Baxter Holmes of ESPN reports that Buss privately complained about James’s “outsized ego” and the influence of Klutch Sports, citing current and former Lakers staffers.
- In 2022, Buss considered withholding an extension for James and even floated a trade to the Clippers, according to people familiar with the team’s discussions.
- Sources describe the failed 2021 Russell Westbrook trade as a turning point, with Buss frustrated by what she viewed as James’s lack of accountability for the move.
- The report says Buss felt James was not sufficiently grateful after the Lakers drafted Bronny James at No. 55 in 2024, then re-signed LeBron that summer largely to avoid a public-relations backlash as he later obtained a no-trade clause.
- Coverage notes the Buss family’s majority sale of the Lakers to Mark Walter for roughly $10 billion, Jeanie’s continued role as governor, LeBron’s current expiring deal, and a new statement from Buss to The Athletic addressing the story.