For 23 years now LeBron James has been a focal point of discourse in the NBA. Unfortunately, recent headlines revolving around his name haven’t been in a positive light. That isn’t anything new to James, who has claimed that he doesn’t care about any of this at his age. However, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith isn’t buying it.
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James’ future with the Lakershas been the subject of speculation for some time now. It was steady going for a while but it seems following ESPN journalist Baxter Holmes’ recent expose of the drama surrounding the Buss family, things have gotten out of hand.
The article claimed that despite Jeanie Buss claiming to be a big fan of LeBron, she was more than willing to trade him to the Clippers.
“Jeanie privately bristled about what she felt was his lack of accountability and the way James would shift blame onto others after the Westbrook trade,” Holmes said. “That summer, as she discussed a new contract for James, Jeanie seemed more resigned to the fact that they’d have to do it — almost begrudgingly accepting that they’d take a massive PR hit by not doing so.”
This article has since spread like wildfire, even forcing James to react to it, who had every reason to be offended but instead, has responded like a true professional.
“When I came to this organization, my whole mindset was about restoring excellence,” James said to the media. “Quite frankly, I don’t really care about articles. I don’t care how somebody feels about me. If you know me personally, then you know what I’m about.”
“When I came to this organization, my whole mindset was about restoring excellence … Quite frankly, I don’t really care about articles … I don’t care how somebody feels about me. If you know me personally, then you know what I’m about” – LeBron James on ESPN’s Buss family story pic.twitter.com/lXCNBJgx1i
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 23, 2026
Restoring excellence to the Lakers franchise is exactly what James did. Before he signed with the team in 2018, the Lakers were in the middle of their longest postseason drought in franchise history. His presence reignited hope for the future.
Shortly after, he drew Anthony Davis to Los Angeles, too. The dynamic duo helped lead the Lakers back to the NBA mountaintop with a 2020 NBA championship. For that milestone alone, James deserves credit, respect and applause. Instead, he is receiving backlash for the Lakers’ current situation.
Although he proclaimed that he doesn’t necessarily care, Smith confidently believes that’s a lie.
“LeBron was lying. When he says he doesn’t care, that’s a lie. He cares, he always cares about narratives,” Smith said on ESPN’s First Take.
“His level of production on behalf of the Los Angeles Lakers and the way that he has represented that franchise needs to be applauded, not insulted.”@stephenasmith shares his thoughts on LeBron’s time with the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/f6iFay1iMc
— First Take (@FirstTake) January 23, 2026
In the past, James has received a great deal of flak for caring too much about what people say. But in this specific instance, Smith doesn’t believe James is in the wrong if he desired more respect.
“We have to pay attention to the fact that the Lakers for 6-7 years were awful,” Smith proclaimed.
“They did not resemble at all what Lakers lore was all about. The level of appreciation for [LeBron] should be exponentially higher than it is. He didn’t have to come to Los Angeles. His level of production on behalf of the Los Angeles Lakers and the way that he has represented the franchise needs to be applauded, not insulted,” he asserted.
It’ll be a shame if the Lakers throw James to the wayside after everything he has done for the team. Things may not be going the way the Lakers front office would like. However, it could be a whole lot worse if James never joined them to begin with.
