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LeBron James’ agent Rich Paul is downplaying the explosive report that Los Angeles Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss is fed up with her client.
ESPN cited team sources when reporting that Buss had complained privately about James’ “inflated ego” and the “obvious control” that the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, Paul and the Klutch Sports Group, have over the organization.
The report also stated that Buss believed James lacked accountability since he was with the team, which included passing blame after the team’s unsuccessful trade for Russell Westbrook before the 2021-22 season.
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Rich Paul talks with LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on January 4, 2026 in Los Angeles. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Paul responded during his podcast “Game Over With Max Kellerman and Rich Paul,” where he downplayed the report.
“There’s an article written every day,” he told Kellerman. “Who cares?” I don’t.
“When these types of articles come out, people want to go for clickbait. You’ll see things floating and floating and floating. And that goes back to why I created this whole thing about not being bothered.
EX-LAKERS OWNER WAS FRUSTRATED BY LEBRON JAMES’ ‘EGO,’ UNGRATATION AFTER TEAM REVEALED SON BRONNY: REPORT
“You don’t have to be bothered by this stuff. I am. It’s like whatever.”
One decision the Lakers made in 2024 that sparked controversy was the selection of James’ son Bronny in the NBA draft. Despite struggling during his lone year at USC — largely because he was recovering from a cardiac arrest — the Lakers selected James with the 55th overall pick.
Jeanie Buss, owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, attends media day at the UCLA Health and Training Center in El Segundo, California on September 28, 2021 in Los Angeles. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports)
Speculation was that James had influence on the selection, and ESPN’s reporting seemed to confirm that.
“And when the Lakers drafted James’ son Bronny with the 55th pick in the 2024 draft, Jeanie privately remarked that James should be grateful for such a gesture, but she felt that was not the case,” the ESPN report read. “That summer, while discussing a new contract for James, Jeanie seemed more resigned to the fact that they would have to do it – almost reluctantly accepting that they would suffer a huge PR blow by not doing it.”
When Jerry Buss died in 2013, the Lakers were passed down to his children and Jeanie has served as the team’s governor ever since. She continued to oversee day-to-day operations and reports indicate she will remain governor for another five years.
Rich Paul attends a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena on November 18, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
The Lakers have won 11 of their 17 championships under Buss’ ownership, most recently in 2020. This, however, is their only title since the death of Jerry Buss.
James joined the Lakers in free agency in 2018, where he helped the team win this title in 2020.
