The Los Angeles Lakers re-established themselves as a relevant NBA franchise after years of treading water in the summer of 2018, when LeBron James signed as a free agent after a four-year stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since then, James has ascended among the Lakers greats, setting all-time records and bringing home a championship in 2020.
Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss has a strong working relationship with LeBron, indicated by James now spending seven seasons with the franchise. She opened up on the same on a recent appearance on the ‘Games With Names’ podcast.
“Just watching him work. In practice, it doesn’t, it’s hard to comprehend what he does at his age. And that he’s still hungry for it and works hard. There’s no shortcuts for this guy.”
“(It’s Kobe-esque) but in a different way. His physique, he’s like a train. He’s so strong, you can’t stop him. If I saw him coming at me, I would scream. It would be so scary.”
Despite people trying to create stories of dissatisfaction from LeBron or the Lakers hierarchy of their relationship over the years, it’s clear that the parties have had strong communication and understanding.
James has signed multiple short-term contracts with the Lakers and has previously declined trades that could potentially send him to different contenders.
The Lakers have kept him happy despite some tough seasons with bad moves or inaction, keeping them away from genuine contention. However, they gave him the perfect conduit to further extend his playing career by bringing in an offensive on-ball phenom like Luka Doncic to be the star of the future as LeBron can start shedding responsibilities.
LeBron has averaged 26.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 8.1 assists in 407 games over his Lakers tenure, making seven All-NBA and All-Star teams as well. He will have his jersey hanging in the rafters already, but with Doncic by his side, LeBron can further cement his greatness by competing for another championship before retiring.
Jeanie Buss Hid The Luka Doncic Trade From LeBron
The NBA world was in shock when the Lakers traded Anthony Davis and Max Christie for Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks. It reset the franchise and gave them a competitive runway beyond the aging duo of Davis and LeBron.
Davis and LeBron won the 2020 Championship together and are close personal friends outside the court as well.
While it seems like everyone believes LeBron had a role in having his friend shipped out for a younger star who could tangibly become the team’s No. 1 option, Jeanie Buss has gone on record saying they kept LeBron in the dark during the month-long negotiations with the Mavericks.
“It wasn’t that we were trying to keep it from anyone specific. It was just about keeping a lid on something that, had the trade not worked out, would have sent repercussions around the team. And I said, we have a rookie coach, and we wanted to make things as smooth as possible.”
“I say you can interpret it any way you want. At the end of the day, I’m the governor of the team, which means I’m ultimately responsible for all basketball and business decisions for this team.”
This is a notion that’s also been verified by Rich Paul, the agent for both LeBron and Davis.
Making a move like this without consulting LeBron is bold, but it’s clear the 40-year-old forward is content with his situation in Los Angeles. Unless he suddenly angles for a move as a free agent this summer, it seems he’ll retire with the Lakers.
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