The sale of the Los Angeles Lakers to businessman Mark Walter is one of the most controversial topics this NBA season. The Buss family’s unexpected decision to sell the team has been the main talking point in recent months, and as such, LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul, couldn’t remain silent.
In May 1979, Jerry Buss bought the Lakers for $67.5 million from Jack Kent Cooke. Forty-seven years later, his daughter, Jeanie Buss, sold the franchise for a record $10 billion.
The transaction didn’t come without sacrifices. While Jeanie was able to retain her position as team governor, her brothers, Joey and Jesse, and much of the team’s brass were dismissed.
Amid the uproar, ESPN published a detailed report on the team’s sale. The report alleged that Jeanie Buss had some concerns about James and Paul’s influence on the team, but the agent was more than diplomatic about it.
LeBron’s agent has only good things to say about Buss
In a recent episode of the Game Over Podcast, Paul addressed Buss’s alleged concerns. The agent, however, asserted that he and his clients have always been treated well by the Lakers.
“We have been treated great, we will continue to be treated great,” the owner of Klutch Sports assured host Max Kellerman.
Regarding the team’s sale, he stated, “I am so happy that Jeanie was able to do what she did, and the value of the team went up.” He also recalled that she was the one who led the team to the championship in 2020.
“Here’s the thing I’ll close it on: as governor, she won the championship with two guys leading the show, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.”
Furthermore, he noted that almost half of that team were his clients. “That team also had four other Klutch clients. So, six out of 14. We enjoyed ourselves in the bubble, we enjoyed that season, and they won.”
The Lakers are fighting for another championship
After being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last season, the Lakers are focused on a long postseason run, now with Luka Doncic as the team’s anchor.
With a 26-17 record, the franchise is in a three-way tie with Phoenix and Minnesota for fifth place in the Western Conference. They are just one game behind the Houston Rockets and 3.5 games behind the leader, the Denver Nuggets.
Looking to pull away from the Suns and Timberwolves, the Lakers are about to embark on a five-game road trip against Eastern Conference teams, also trying to impress the new owner.
