Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James brought the Larry O’Brien trophy back to Southern California in the NBA bubble, and in doing so, feels that he achieved his goal of “restoring excellence.” James credits this accomplishment for why he “doesn’t care” how anyone in the organization feels about him, including team governor Jeanie Buss.
ESPN’s Baxter Holmes explored the Buss family dynamics in a report that detailed the events leading up to the franchise’s eventual sale to billionaire Mark Walter last June.
Holmes’s report detailed growing tension between James and Buss over the tenure of James’s time in Los Angeles, but it’s not something James is giving much thought.
“I thought it was good, but, you know, somebody could see it another way,” James said of his relationship with Buss, per ESPN. “It’s always two sides of the coin. … How I represented this franchise, and what I wanted to do to represent this franchise since when I got here until now, it’s been with the utmost respect and honor and dignity. And I would say loyalty. I mean, s—, I played here longer than pretty much any other franchise I played for besides Cleveland.”
James is no stranger to the reports or limelight that come with being a superstar.
“I don’t really care about the reports, to be honest,” he said. “Since I’ve been here, my eighth year here [in L.A.], been in this league 23 years, there’s [always going to] be another article tomorrow, especially involving me.
“At the end of the day, when I came to this organization, my whole mindset was about restoring excellence. The things that I saw growing up with the Lakers — obviously, I didn’t get an opportunity to watch the Showtime [era], but I know the history.
“Then the early 2000s with Shaq [O’Neal] and Kobe [Bryant], and then what Kobe did and those couple runs with him and Pau [Gasol]. So, my whole mindset was like, how can I get that feeling back to the Lakers organization? … I was able to do that along with, you know, 14, 16 other guys winning the championship, bringing the championship here. That’s always been my mindset.”
The Lakers and James will try to get one more title before the 41-year-old calls it a career and hangs up his sneakers.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.