Social media can be brutal, as the Los Angeles Lakers can clearly attest. Or perhaps Rob Pelinka and boss lady, Jeanie Buss, more specifically. From the disappointing past season to the signing of Bronny James (and everything in between), it has been a rollercoaster ride. Then again, these rides are nothing new for the franchise. They have been undergoing them since Pelinka came on board.

The Lakers’ GM has been specifically criticized for his questionable free agency decisions. Or lack of them. This offseason should have been one where the Purple & Gold should have got a third superstar to play alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

However, the storied franchise and the offers weren’t convincing enough for Los Angeles to lock a star-free agent down. Even James chipped in with a gracious offer – willing to take a paycut, provided the front office signed one of the few pieces he named. Again, a big fat nada. Needless to say, this sparked another outrage among fans and a bevy of reprovals from every talking head in the country.

So, what’s the solution? Jeanie Buss has a straightforward answer: “Really, you gotta play basketball and win games,” she said in a Q&A with LA Times as she arrived at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con to promote another venture – WOW Superheros, a women’s professional wrestling promotion. “There’s always controversy being stirred up on social media… It’s just you gotta do the work … We worry about what we can control and let the work speak for itself,” Buss further explained.

Yeah, there’s no controlling social media. But there wasn’t much to control on the part of the Lakers either by way of the narratives out there. Perhaps the 2024-25 season can be one of that. And she has already set high expectations on none other than LeBron.

“He consistently delivers,” Jeanie Buss hints at continued elite performances from LeBron James as she heaps praise on the 40YO

It isn’t hard to look at Bron and think, ‘Wow’. Those three words convey a lot more than any detailed article could. The 20x All-Star entered the NBA with insane expectations and responsibility on his shoulders and he surpassed them all in the rookie season itself. From then, it has been an uphill graph with the ‘kid from Akron’. More importantly, a consistent uphill graph.

So, it really isn’t surprising that whoever has LeBron James on their roster would naturally have high expectations. Just like Jeanie here. “He consistently delivers. He puts in the work. He’s not only a worldwide brand, but he is our leader. He’s the captain of our team and he sets the tone, sets the pace by putting in the hard work. Nobody can complain about the work if you see somebody with his résumé and his longevity of career. Nobody can complain about having to practice if he’s willing to do it. And he does.”

The man is nearing 40 and yet watching him on the court feels like going back in time. Be it Bron’s late-game heroics to pull his team over the edge or, being the floor general, facilitating and orchestrating the game, the ‘King’ has proved himself to be indispensable.

And from Buss’s words, it seems like she is banking on exactly this for the 2024-25 season. After all, this is the last shot the Lakers have at winning a title with LeBron. Just that one title can repair over five years of scrutiny and inefficiency. At least to an extent, don’t you think?