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Dave McMenamin
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James stated he fulfilled his aim of “restoring excellence” to the Los Angeles Lakers by winning a championship during his time with the team and “doesn’t care” about the opinions of others, including team governor Jeanie Buss, at this stage of his life.
James made these remarks Thursday after a 112-104 defeat to the LA Clippers, in response to a story released that week by ESPN’s Baxter Holmes, which examined the family dynamics of the Buss family leading up to the franchise’s sale to billionaire Mark Walter in June. The article included reporting on the reportedly strained relationship between Jeanie Buss and James.
The report highlighted tensions that surfaced between Buss and James when he joined as a free agent in 2018, with the four-time MVP seen as a “savior for a struggling franchise,” instead of the accolades going to Buss and the Lakers for securing him.
A key point of contention discussed in the article was the aftermath of the unsuccessful Russell Westbrook trade, which reportedly caused Buss to feel “privately irritated” by James’s lack of accountability for the deal.
The fallout from the Westbrook situation was so severe that, according to several individuals mentioned in Holmes’s article, Buss “privately contemplated” not offering James a contract extension in 2022 and even considered the possibility of trading him to the Clippers.
James, however, expressed a different viewpoint regarding his relationship with Buss.
“I thought it was good, but, you know, someone might see it differently,” James noted. “There are always two sides to every story. … How I’ve represented this franchise, and my intentions to represent this franchise since I arrived until now, has always been with the utmost respect, honor, dignity, and I would say loyalty. I mean, shoot, I’ve played here longer than I have for most other franchises aside from Cleveland.”
James mentioned that he has not communicated with Buss since the article was published, explaining that he hasn’t had a relationship with any team owner that involved frequent one-on-one conversations, including previous owners like Dan Gilbert in Cleveland and Mickey Arison in Miami.
The 41-year-old James, who has been in the public eye since he was 14, said he has grown accustomed to stories that delve into his off-court life.
“I don’t really care about the reports, to be honest,” James stated. “Since I’ve been here for my eighth year [in L.A.], and having been in this league for 23 years, there will always be another article tomorrow, particularly about me.
“finally, when I joined this organization, my mindset was squarely focused on restoring excellence. The legacy I admired growing up with the Lakers — while I didn’t experience the Showtime era, I’m familiar with the history. Then there were the early 2000s with Shaq [O’Neal] and Kobe [Bryant], and the runs he made with him and Pau [Gasol]. My goal has always been how to bring that feeling back to the Lakers organization. … I succeeded in that along with 14, 16 other guys by winning the championship and bringing it here. That’s been my focus.”
James arrived at the Lakers at a time when the team was enduring a five-year playoff drought.
Los Angeles failed to make the playoffs in his initial season, 2018-19, but he was public in urging the team to acquire Anthony Davis, then with the New Orleans Pelicans.
The trade was completed in the summer of 2019, leading the Lakers to win the championship in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida, in October 2020 — dedicating the title to Bryant, who died in a tragic helicopter accident that year.
Since then, the Lakers have reached the playoffs in five of the six years, making it to the Western Conference finals in 2023 and winning the first in-season tournament championship the following season.
“Honestly, I don’t really care about articles,” James reiterated. “I really don’t. I’m not concerned about stories, podcasts, or any of that. Nah, they don’t affect me. I’m 41 years old, and I watch golf every day. I don’t mind how others perceive me. If you know me personally and understand what I’m about, [my teammates] do too, and that’s what really matters. … I could care less about others’ opinions of me.”
Buss released a statement to The Athletic on Wednesday addressing ESPN’s article.
“It’s quite unfair that, given all the amazing things LeBron has achieved for the Lakers, he has to be drawn into my family’s issues,” she asserted. “To say that his contributions weren’t valued is simply untrue and completely unjust to him.”
Buss also updated her Instagram profile picture to one of her and James celebrating after the 2020 championship victory.
Before the Clippers game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick mentioned that the entire team values James.
“Everyone within this organization appreciates LeBron and acknowledges what he’s done for the Lakers,” Redick stated. “He has upheld the legacy and, truthfully, the responsibilities of being a superstar for the Los Angeles Lakers for eight years, all while doing it with class.
“Personally, I can say I’ve loved coaching him at such a high level—10 out of 10. That’s not to imply that LeBron and I don’t have our disagreements, but I know he will always put everything into this, which has been a tremendous experience.”
Thursday also marked two weeks until the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 5.
James, who holds a no-trade clause in his contract, was asked whether he wanted to finish the season with the Lakers or if he would consider waiving the clause to explore other teams.
“I’m good,” James replied just before leaving the locker room. “I’m good.”
