Jeanie Buss Reacts to Report of Rift With Lakers Star LeBron James

Jul 13, 2019; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers team owner Jeannie Buss looks on from her office during an introductory press conference for Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis (not pictured) at the UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

A report surfaced on Wednesday about longtime Los Angeles Lakers team owner Jeanie Buss and everything that led to the sale of the storied franchise to Mark Walter for a record-setting $10 billion. Along with a lot of detail about the infighting within the Buss family,  ESPN's Baxter Holmes' piece revealed some interesting tidbits, including Buss wasn't all that fond of superstar LeBron James, and Klutch Sports had influenced the team's moves over the years.

With Holmes' piece causing a stir on Wednesday, with Buss and her supposed rift with James and his agency becoming a hot topic of discussion in Los Angeles, the Lakers' governor felt compelled to share her reaction.

Jeanie Buss Releases Statement Calling ESPN Piece 'Unfair' to LeBron James

Buss sent the following statement to Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Lakers governor Jeanie Buss issued this statement to @TheAthletic in response to today’s ESPN story, which includes reporting about her relationship with LeBron James.

“It’s really not right, given all the great things LeBron has done for the Lakers, that he has to be pulled…

— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) January 21, 2026

“It’s really not right, given all the great things LeBron has done for the Lakers, that he has to be pulled into my family drama,” Jeanie Buss said. “To say that it wasn’t appreciated is just not true and completely unfair to him.”

Although Buss addressed the situation and said it is "unfair" that James be "pulled into" her family drama, she didn't exactly deny anything Holmes reported in the ESPN piece. 

As a result, the speculation will likely kick into high gear moving forward, with Buss becoming the center of attention for all the wrong reasons as James plays out what will probably be his last season with the Lakers and potentially his final season in the NBA altogether.

With the Lakers struggling as of late and the NBA trade deadline right around the corner on Feb. 5, the Lakers will almost certainly be the center of attention over the course of the next couple of weeks, as well as during NBA All-Star weekend, which will take place at the Los Angeles Clippers' Intuit Dome in Inglewood starting on Feb. 13.

There's a chance Buss will feel compelled to do an on-camera interview to explain her side, as this topic will undoubtedly dominate the headlines. She will most likely be getting interview requests constantly over the next few days and weeks, while James is also asked questions about the situation with Buss and the Lakers organization after every game he plays from here on out until it is addressed.

It'll be an interesting few months for the Lakers during the second half of the 2025-26 campaign, with no telling where things end up in Los Angeles.