Rich Paul is not backing down from the noise surrounding Klutch Sports and its long-standing relationship with the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead, he is leaning into it.
Speaking alongside Max Kellerman on the Game Over podcast, Paul addressed recent controversy, online criticism, and whispers about Klutch’s influence inside the Lakers organization. His message was simple: the partnership has worked, the results speak for themselves, and the respect is mutual.
Rich Paul: “At the end of the day, we have been treated great. We will continue to be treated great. I am so happy that Jeanie was able to do what she did, and the value of the team went up, and they did the business that they did. And here’s the thing, I’ll close it on this.”
“As governor, she won the championship, right? With two guys leading the show. One name was LeBron James. The other name was Anthony Davis. That team also had four other Klutch clients on that team. So it was six out of the 14, whatever the case may be. And we enjoyed ourselves in the bubble. We enjoyed that season, and they won. That is a beautiful thing.”
Max Kellerman: “If I were you, I would simply say, hey, you don’t have to thank us, but a thank you would be appreciated. You’re right. You’re not making this up. And I saw it before you, and I were really dealing with each other a lot, before we had any idea to do a pod together or a show together, before I was on First Take or anything like that.”
“When I was in LA, I saw it from that point of view. If anyone would have told us back then, hey, Klutch is going to help bring AD and LeBron to the Lakers, and it’s going to result in a championship, if I were you, I’d be sitting there going, hey, a simple thank you would be appreciated. You don’t have to.”
Rich Paul: “Max, I don’t need you to thank me because I’m shown thank you every time I walk in the building. It’s not about what you say. It’s about what you do.”
Paul pointed directly to the 2020 championship as the clearest rebuttal to any claims of dysfunction. Under Jeanie Buss’ leadership, the Lakers won a title with LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the way. That roster also featured four additional Klutch clients, making it six Klutch-represented players on a championship team.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, JR Smith, Dion Waiters, and Talen Horton-Tucker were all part of that bubble run. In the years after it, other Klutch clients, including Montrezl Harrell, Ben McLemore, Tristan Thompson, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Taurean Prince, and Adou Thiero, have also worn Lakers uniforms. The overlap has fueled conspiracy theories, but Paul framed it as alignment, not manipulation.
These comments felt pointed amid recent reports suggesting tension between Buss and LeBron. Paul has repeatedly pushed back on those narratives, calling them distractions driven by outside speculation rather than lived reality. He emphasized that relationships evolve, frustrations happen, but the foundation between Klutch and the Lakers has remained strong.
With Buss still governing the franchise after selling majority control and LeBron nearing the end of his career, uncertainty naturally surrounds the Lakers’ future. Yet Paul’s stance is clear. Klutch did not force its way into the Lakers’ ecosystem. It earned its place through results.
