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Jeanie Buss: I mean, in order to trade somebody like Anthony Davis, it would have to be with approval. Not only that, but a first round draft pick and certainly getting a player of Luka's caliber and being at the beginning end of his career was just an extraordinary opportunity, but it required a lot of strategy and a lot of small steps in order to pull it off. and Rob Pelinka, our general manager, was able to do that all without leaking to the media because I think Mark Cuban might have jumped in front of a train to keep it from happening.
NBA Courtside: Jeanie Buss on how the Luka Doncic trade went down: “Dallas wanted Anthony Davis and he was on our team. Conversations started but it was important they remained private…. Those conversations started in the beginning of January… Rob Pelinka was able to pull it off all without it leaking to the media because I think Mark Cuban would’ve jumped in front of a train to keep it from happening. Nobody knew including Luka, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James. We had a game in New York that night, the coach knew this was going to happen but he still had to coach the game. It wasn’t a distraction” (Via https://youtu.be/gHPMuGZe3IE?si=gMgVyp6VAiYhwCrL…)
Yashar Ali: Jeanie Buss, the billionaire businesswoman and governor of the LA Lakers, has donated the maximum allowable amount to the mayoral campaign of @spencerpratt. Buss and her family sold their majority stake in the Lakers at a $10 billion valuation in 2025 but still maintain a 15% ownership stake.
Jeanie Buss: Those conversations started the beginning of January, right? I'll never forget that's when all of Los Angeles was on fire. In order to trade somebody like Anthony Davis, it would have to be with [my] approval and… certainly getting a player of Luka's caliber and him being at the beginning end of his career was just an extraordinary opportunity. But it required a lot of strategy and a lot of small steps in order to pull it off. And Rob Pelinka... was able to do that all with it out leaking to the media, because I think Mark Cuban might have jumped in front of a train to keep it from happening. Nobody knew, including Luka. And Anthony Davis. And we had a game in New York that night. And so the coach knew that this was gonna happen, but he still had to play the game. And we won the game that night... Then all the world turned upside down.
How badly would you want LeBron James to remain a Laker and retire a Los Angeles Laker?” Jeanie Buss: “Well, I've always said I want to see him retire as a Laker. But he's going to be a free agent. It's really his decision to make. He is a valuable player in this league, even in his 23rd season. It's incredible what he's done. But, you know, the decision's going to be his, he's a free agent, and I'm sure he's going to look at all his opportunities. Or not. Maybe he just wants to go out quietly. I mean, certainly I think one of the biggest gifts that Kobe gave us was that he told us in November of his last season that it was going to be his last season. So we got a chance to celebrate him. And every city he went to, I think he was even blown away at the fans in Sacramento, the fans in Boston, really showing so much love to him. And I think that LeBron would probably experience the same thing. But I think it's really up to the individual what they are comfortable with. And so, you know, LeBron has all the cards.”
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Jeanie Buss on Luka Doncic: “I knew he was a great player, an All-Star, but the fact that he joins the Lakers and immediately becomes the number one selling jersey in the NBA, that he led the league in scoring. I knew he was good. What he brings to us globally in terms of fans, we just have so much to look forward to, to watch him continue to grow. And he's a winner. He wants to win. And, of course, I have a soft spot in my heart for him because the last time I saw Kobe alive was about a month before he passed, he came to the Lakers-Dallas game with Gigi, because Luka was Gigi's favorite player. So I know that Kobe would be excited that he's now a Laker and will continue to lead this franchise into the foreseeable future.”
![Jeanie Buss: “[Redick] handles pressure really well.](https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/gcdn/content-pipeline-sports-images/sports2/nba/players/603096.png?format=png8&auto=webp&quality=85,75&width=140)
Jeanie Buss: “[Redick] handles pressure really well. As a former NBA player, playing for Duke University, he's been through a lot and he brings that steadiness, that calmness, that desire to execute, the obsession about basketball. Last year we had a major trade when Anthony Davis left and Luka Doncic joined us, and he didn't miss a beat. He was able to reconfigure and get into a new direction, and I think a lot of rookie head coaches might have been thrown off a lot by that. But instead, JJ rose to the challenge and he continues to do that.”
Jeanie Buss: “Certainly, we have our backs against the wall going into the playoffs with two starters injured. But he's managed to get us through the last two weeks of the regular season, which leads us to the amazing feats of LeBron James and what he continues to do on the court and really literally put a team on his back to lead us into the playoffs.”
For a player of his stature, one who has been relentlessly recruited for the entirety of his storied career, this was a notable shift. What’s more, there was the now-infamous statement from James’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, who questioned whether the Lakers were willing to build a championship contender before James’ playing days were done. An ESPN report in late January only made matters worse, as it highlighted the sometimes-difficult dynamics between James and longtime owner Jeanie Buss. “It’s really not right, given all the great things LeBron has done for the Lakers, that he has to be pulled into my family drama,” Buss told The Athletic in response to the ESPN story. “To say that it wasn’t appreciated is just not true and completely unfair to him.”
Luka Doncic: I am grateful to the NBPA for advocating on my behalf and to the NBA for their fair decision. It was so important to me to be present for the birth of my daughter in December and I appreciate Mark, Jeanie, Rob, JJ, and the entire Lakers organization for fully supporting me and allowing me to travel to be there. This season has been so special to me because of what my teammates and I have been able to accomplish, and I am honored to have the opportunity to be considered for the league’s end-of-season awards.
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The LA insider explained that there is some "bad blood" between the two teams, not surprising given that they are city rivals. "There's a little bad blood there, I would say, between the ownerships," Buha said. "Like, I don't think it's two franchises that like love each other." For context, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss once nicknamed Clippers owner Steve Ballmer "Ballz," and the Lakers still have some "egg on their face" from the Ivica Zubac trade with the Clippers. "I don't think the Clippers would love trading Kawhi to the Lakers," Buha noted. "And at that point, if you're forced to trade him, I think the league's not gonna be like, 'You have to trade him to the Lakers, you have to trade him to team X.' It's gonna be, 'Alright, let's get into a bidding war here.'
Benjamin Royer: Jeanie Buss on Pat Riley: “Even though Pat hasn't worked here for more than three decades, those remain Laker principles in large part because of him. That's why it was so important to us to recognize Pat with this statue right here in the heart of downtown LA.”
Six-time NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said new majority owner Mark Walter’s access to capital will help the team best compete with the NBA’s top franchises — and that her late father, Jerry Buss, would have supported the sale. “What was important to him was that the Lakers stay at the top of the NBA, and to stay at the top of the NBA, you need to have the resources,” Buss said. “You need to have everybody pulling together. And he would want [that for] the Lakers, because the Lakers are his legacy.”