Getty LeBron James hugs Lakers owner Jeanie Buss in October 2020
Los Angeles Lakers controlling governor Jeanie Buss spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Howard Beck on “The Crossover NBA Show” on September 9th and the 60-year-old sounded off on LeBron James.
James signed a two-year, $97.1 million extension with the Lakers on August 18th and Buss “appreciated” the King’s commitment to the purple and gold.
“With LeBron, we have a line of communication between the two of us, and he knows that he can reach me any time and vice-versa,” Buss said. “And I think he feels appreciated. I know I appreciated that he signed an extension to stay here and continue to lead the Laker team. He’s a fantastic leader both on and off the court, and I feel like we’re blessed to have him as a Laker. I want to see him retire as a Laker.”
James’ extension has a 15% trade kicker and made the four-time MVP and four-time Finals MVP the highest-earning player in NBA history with $532 million in guaranteed money, surpassing Brooklyn Nets All-Star Kevin Durant. LeBron has played in 223 out of a possible 307 regular-season games since joining the Lakers in the summer of 2018, averaging 27.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.2 assists.
The 18-time All-Star led the purple and gold to their 17th championship in franchise history in 2020. James averaged 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists in the 2020 Finals against the Miami Heat, taking home his fourth Finals MVP.
Buss on LeBron Passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
James is 1,326 points away from passing Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and Buss is excited to see the Akron Hammer make NBA history.
“We have something that is coming up, which is he will probably become the all-time leading scorer in the history of the NBA, which would break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record,” Buss said. “Which, I’ll never forget when he did that, and Chick Hearn said, ‘This is a record that will never be broken,’ and here we are, somebody who is going to break it in a Laker uniform. And that has a lot of meaning to the organization, and to me personally.”
James’ extension includes a player option for the 2024-25 season. The swingman, along with his agent (Rich Paul of Klutch Sports), had a meeting with Buss and Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka in late February to discuss their future together. James, Paul, Buss and Pelinka met again this offseason and an extension was agreed upon.
Since winning the championship in 2020, the Lakers have lost in the first round of the playoffs and failed to qualify for the play-in tournament. However, James is reportedly “extremely happy” in Los Angeles, according to a July 29th report from NBA insider Marc Stein.
LeBron ‘Believes in the Lakers’
On the August 20th episode of “The Hoop Collective,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said James signed an extension with Los Angeles because he “believes in the Lakers.” James, who turns 38 in December, was ineligible for a no-trade clause since he agreed to an extension.
Both of James’ sons play basketball at Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles. Bronny will be a senior in high school this year, while Bryce will be a sophomore. James’ wife — Savannah — and daughter — Zhuri — also enjoy living in Los Angeles.
The only player in NBA history to record 10,000+ points, 10,000+ rebounds and 10,000+ assists in his career, James is two championships and two Finals MVPs away from tying his childhood idol, Michael Jordan.