The cracks are starting to show in Los Angeles, and LeBron James is at the center of it all. Following recent reports about his falling out with Lakers CEO Jeanie Buss, his agent, Rich Paul, came out to downplay the tensions. In a segment on his ‘Game Over’ podcast, Paul gave his live response and said that the Lakers should appreciate LeBron.
“There’s an article written every day, who gives a sh*t? I don’t. You don’t know what’s true, what’s not true, but where there’s smoke, there’s fire. All I know is this: there should be an appreciation for a guy like LeBron,” said Paul on his podcast. “And I think that, oftentimes, people decide what not to do for reasons that don’t really have substance to them.”
While Paul did not directly confirm or deny the claims about a rift between Buss and James, he did speak on the positive experience he’s had there over the past eight years as a Laker. They suggest that LeBron has always felt comfortable and welcomed in Los Angeles, despite growing resentment from Buss.
“You don’t know if any of this stuff is true; you only know your relationship with people. What I know is, from the time we’ve gotten to LA, we’ve been treated great. There was a championship won, we played Rummy Cube in the bubble, and had lunch every day. When people see things are going well, they try their best to poke holes and try to manipulate relationships. And in any relationship, there’s gonna be some type of annoyance at some point. We’re all human people, but I like to focus on the things that were done well.”
Buss is reportedly frustrated by what she sees as LeBron’s “big ego,” and still holds some resentment regarding his lack of accountability on the Russell Westbrook trade. The whole story is a massive indictment of the Lakers’ culture within the organization, but Rich says it’s nothing but a distraction.
“Nobody’s falling for that. I’m appreciative of the last seven, eight years; it was great, and we won. You gotta be unbothered by this type of stuff, I am.”
Jeanie is still in control of the Lakers, but she’s no longer the majority owner after selling her stake to Mark Walter. She remains in charge, but that’s subject to change at any moment. Meanwhile, LeBron James’ future is even less certain. His contract expires this summer, and it’s looking increasingly likely that he will spend his final seasons donning a different team’s jersey.
Whether that’s back with an old team or joining a brand new one, many teams are expecting James to make another major pivot as the Lakers put all their focus on Luka Doncic. Nobody thought this would be a messy breakup, but it’s clear that things have been rocky for a while for the Purple and Gold.
