In a recent chat with the Los Angeles Times, Lakers owner/governor Jeanie Buss opened up on her true thoughts about LeBron James. After watching him lead Team USA to another gold medal this summer, Jeanie is convinced that King James is the best player in basketball history.
“I’m excited to see what our new coach, JJ Redick, has in store. It’s definitely gonna be an interesting season for sure. I mean, LeBron, the way he played at the Olympics? He might be the greatest of all time… He consistently delivers. He puts in the work. He’s not only a worldwide brand, but he is our leader,” said Buss to Chuck Schilken. “He’s the captain of our team and he sets the tone, sets the pace by putting in the hard work. He just amazes me. I don’t know what else to say.”
Jeanie Buss had been running the show in Lakerland since 2013 when the late great Dr. Jerry Buss passed away after decades of owning the franchise. Under her watch, the Lakers transitioned from the Kobe Bryant era to the LeBron James era and even won their 17th championship in 2020.
For her part, Buss has been mostly hands-off when it comes to basketball operations, and she leaves those matters to her trusted GM and Vice President, Rob Pelinka. She has also put a lot of trust in LeBron James, who has been empowered and equipped to take full control of the team.
With James running the show, the Lakers have consistently been competitive in the West and he’s hoping to keep the momentum going as the new season begins. With mostly the same roster as last year, there’s no glaring reason why the Lakers should be better than last season but LeBron is determined to find a way.
And after his impressive showing at the Olympic games this summer, it doesn’t seem wise to count out the Lakers this early in the game. James, at 39 years old, was voted the MVP of the tournament with averages of 14.2 points, 10.2 assists, and 8.2 rebounds per game.
Somehow, despite 21 years of mileage on his body, LeBron James was the best player in the world this summer and his latest Olympic run will still be fresh in everyone’s minds when the new season begins next month. The question is, can the Lakers capitalize on LeBron’s extended greatness, or will they once again fail to build a roster that can keep up with the best in the West?
With LeBron and his costar Anthony Davis, anything is possible and we saw how dominant they could be during the 2019-2020 campaign. This time, with Bronny James and Dalton Knecht, added to the mix, the Lakers are hoping they can find a big enough spark to empower another long playoff run.
With powerful teams such as the Mavericks, Nuggets, and Timberwolves fighting for a championship of their own, the Lakers are no doubt underdogs going into next season but Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka are confident that their stars can keep them somewhat relevant in the NBA title race.
As for LeBron James, he’s got nothing left to prove as a 4x champion, 4x MVP, and 3x Olympic gold medalist. While he may not match the power and grit of Michael Jordan, LeBron has built a strong case for being the GOAT of basketball and he still has time to build up his case before his career is all said and done.
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