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Jeanie issued a response to Wednesday’s report, which focused primarily on Buss family drama and the decision to sell the team to Mark Walter. In a statement to The Athletic, she said the idea that she doesn’t appreciate what James has done for the franchise is “just not true and completely unfair to him.”

Asked specifically about his working relationship with Jeanie, LeBron said he believes they’re on good terms.

ESPN’s report, written by Baxter Holmes, cited several specific moments or incidents over the years that allegedly irked Buss. For instance, according to Holmes, she chafed at the fact that — after pushing the Lakers to trade for Russell Westbrook — James seemed to wash his hands of that move when it didn’t work out, leaving management to take the blame.

Holmes also wrote that Buss didn’t like LeBron being painted as the “savior” of a struggling franchise when he signed with the Lakers as a free agent in 2018.

Even if — as Holmes’ reporting suggested — Buss privately harbored some level of resentment toward LeBron, those feelings never actually impacted the moves the Lakers made with the four-time MVP. James has signed three maximum-salary or near-max multiyear contracts with the Lakers, most recently in 2024 when he agreed to a two-year, $101.4M deal that made him one of just two NBA players with a formal no-trade clause.

Asked on Thursday, if he would consider waiving that NTC or if he wants to finish out the season with the Lakers, the 41-year-old laughed and replied, “I’m good. I’m good.”