“Was Getting Death Threats”: Jeanie Buss’ Petrifying Experience During LeBron James’ Record-Breaking Season, Prior to Massive Turnaround

The Los Angeles Lakers’ 2022-23 season was a rollercoaster of emotions. With the Big 3 of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook, fans expected the team to compete for a championship. Instead, they started the season with a 2-10 record, leaving the Lakers fans in disbelief. It was evident from their abysmal start that the Big 3 would not be able to bring any hardware to the city of Angels. So, after King James broke Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s scoring record in February, the Lakers decided to trade Russell Westbrook just a few days later.

That was the turning point for LeBron James and Co. as they went on to reach the Western Conference Finals. Although it turned out okay in the end, the rough start was not a pleasant time for the President of the LA Lakers, Jeanie Buss. She talked about her petrifying experience amid LeBron James’ record-breaking season.

Jeanie Buss’ shocking revelation about the Lakers season

Jeanie Buss was a guest on the Hoops Adjacent Podcast hosted by David Aldridge. The Lakers President talked about the team’s abysmal start last season, “I’m not gonna survive this, this is gonna be really rough.” The fans were so disappointed in the Lakers’ 2-10 start that they started threatening the 61-year-old, “I was getting death threats.”

There was a glimmer of hope in the middle of the season when King James broke Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s 39-year-old record against the Oklahoma City Thunder to become the Number 1 scorer in NBA history.

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Jeanie remembers watching Kareem break the record live when the announcer said, “This is a record that will never be broken.” Jeanie considers herself fortunate that she got to witness this unachievable feat in her lifetime, and that too from a player wearing a Lakers uniform. “It really was a testament to LeBron and his longevity in the league,” the Lakers President added.

Los Angeles Lakers’ Mid-Season Turnaround

The Lakers decided to trade Russell Westbrook in February this year and acquired young players like Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, and Jarred Vanderbilt. This proved to be a great move from the LA Front Office as the impact of the new acquisitions was visible from the get-go. After the departure of Russ, Austin Reaves took a huge leap and came out to be a rising star for the Lakers.

These young athletes played key roles in helping The Akron Hammer and The Brow lead their team to the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers managed to reach the playoffs after the abysmal start, becoming the only team in two decades to finish with a winning record after such a horrible start.

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No one expected the Lakers to reach the Conference Final after they started the season with a 2-10 record. Jeanie Buss and the Lakers Front Office did a great job making the right moves to turn the season around for LeBron James and Co.