ESPN recently reported that Los Angeles Lakers minority owner Jeanie Buss had animosity towards LeBron James. Buss apparently felt that James had an outsized ego, did not take accountability after the failed Russell Westbrook experiment, and did not express gratitude for the Bronny James pick. LeBron was deemed the savior of the Lakers franchise by many, which reportedly did not sit well with Buss either. Since then, she has denied the reports, saying it is not right that James was a part of her family drama.
Outside of those directly involved, no one knows exactly who said what during all the Buss family drama. What is likely certain, however, is that more good has come of the LeBron Lakers’ era than bad.
First things first, the Lakers won a title during LeBron’s second year in the purple and gold. After going 37-45 in year one, where James missed a month of the season with a groin injury, Los Angeles got back on track. The squad was able to acquire LeBron’s fellow Klutch Sports teammate Anthony Davis in 2019 for Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and three first-round picks. The Lakers were first in the West when the NBA season, and the world in general, came to a halt due to the 2020 pandemic.
Once play resumed in the summer, Los Angeles went on a dominant playoff run, winning each Western Conference series in five games. The Miami Heat gave them all they had in the finals, Jimmy Butler, in particular, but the Lakers were able to finish them in six games.
While James’ tenure has not been smooth throughout, overall, the Lakes have been respectable to great most years. In the seven full seasons LeBron has been in Los Angeles, the squad has made the playoffs five times, won a championship, and had another run to the conference finals. That is a far cry from the five seasons of basketball before James arrived, as the team only won more than 30 games once during that span.
In December 2024, reports surfaced that jersey sales of Bronny James had exceeded 500,000 units, generating over $50 million in revenue, which is not typical for a second-round pick. While there may have been better players available, what Los Angeles gained from the Bronny selection cannot be denied. Yes, the pick was probably for LeBron, but the Lakers organization also reaped the benefits.
Even if Buss did not make those comments about the selection of Bronny, many were opposed to the pick in general, including Los Angeles’ fans and the media. The younger James was said to be the beneficiary of nepotism, and he took a spot that someone else deserved. While there could be some truth to that, as far as the Lakers are concerned, it worked out in ways that go beyond the court.
Keep in mind also that this was the 55th pick in the draft. It is not as if Los Angeles spent a lottery pick on Bronny. At that point in the draft, a team is likely selecting a career end-of-the-bench or G-League player anyway.
LeBron can be demanding, as he does tend to get involved in front office decisions, but overall, the impact is positive. The stability that comes with having him on your squad, and the fact that whatever team he was on became an automatic contender, far outweighs any negative.
James made the Cleveland Cavaliers relevant in two different stints, leading them to an NBA title and multiple finals appearances. LeBron also helped elevate the Miami Heat to a championship level again, and yes, made the Lakers relevant once more. Some try to discredit the 2020 championship because of the bubble situation, but a title is a title at the end of the day.
James probably deserves credit for indirectly setting Los Angeles up for the future as well. Davis likely would not have joined the Lakers without James. This also means Los Angeles would not have been able to fleece the Dallas Mavericks into trading Luka Doncic for Davis.
It will be interesting to see where everything goes from here. LeBron did respond to the report, saying that he does not care about it, but who knows how he actually feels internally. The 41-year-old is in the final year of his contract, and with all the reported internal conflict, it may be best for both parties to move on. The Lakers are now Doncic’s team, and the focus will be on building around him. Perhaps the kid from Akron will return to where it all started to finish his career, but we shall see.
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