“She is showing her disrespect for LeBron James… She holds him responsible for Russell Westbrook” - Skip Bayless says Jeanie Buss’ comments don’t reflect well on James, says LeBron is the face of basketball
LeBron James is the face of the LA Lakers and basketball, but owner Jeanie Buss may not be high on James. In a cryptic tweet, Buss praised Lakers legend Kobe Bryant as the greatest player in team history while specifically praising Kobe's commitment to the team.
I miss KB. He would understand and explain everything that I’m not allowed to. Honestly he was the greatest Laker ever. He understood team over self. Meaning your rewards would come if you valued team goals over your own then everything would fall into place. All can reply.
As James is the current face of the franchise, the comments allude to him not putting the team over himself, according to Skip Bayless. On "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," Bayless explained why he believes Buss' comments don't reflect well on James:
"She's saying that Kobe could always understand and explain for her, maybe to the media. That this is the way it should be. Well, that doesn't reflect well on LeBron James, because right now he is the Kobe of your franchise. I don't think he is better than Kobe, but he is an all-time great who is still the face of basketball."
Bryant is held in high regard by many in Laker Nation, and some viewed LeBron as an outsider on his arrival in Los Angeles. While some have come to accept James as the face of the team, there are still Lakers fans against him.
Even as James prepares to break Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA scoring record, there is some lack of acceptance for the King. The team's performance last season only added to the dislike and disrespect for James.
Bayless said Buss' feelings for James soured even more because of what happened last year:
"It's still LeBron James, and he's your property and he's going to break the record next year as a Laker by a Laker, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. She is showing her disrespect for LeBron James, and I still believe it sticks in her craw and she holds him responsible for Russell Westbrook."
While that offseason addition was not the Lakers' only problem last season, it drew significant ire from the fans. Buss was unhappy with the team's 33-49 record, and her tweet reflects a nostalgic feeling towards the past.
Now, it will be interesting to see how James takes these comments and if there is more discord between Buss and James.
LeBron James and Jeanie Buss could have more issues after Buss' "greatest Laker ever" tweet
Skip Bayless is not the only analyst who believes Jeanie Buss's comments were meant to reflect poorly on LeBron James. One analyst believes the Tweet could start something more between the two.
jeanie buss and lebron setting up to be an all-time passive-aggressive clash.
James is not someone to let disrespect slide and often fires back in indirect ways. While this could be a comment that James moves on from, it could also deepen the divide between ownership and LeBron.