Anything around the NBA isn’t easy. If you’re a player, high hopes lie on your shoulders. You have only one dream and that is winning the championship. If you’re the Commissioner like Adam Silver, you need to run the league like the Greatest Showman ever. Meanwhile, if you’re the GM or the executive like Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss, the pressure of building the perfect team is immense. But hey, didn’t the duo pull off the biggest trade in the NBA’s history by signing Luka Doncic? Yes.

Surely, the heat is slowly subsiding as the Laker Nation is celebrating their new hero. But, Buss? Oh, she is running new errands in the world of entertainment. Remember her 2010 book Laker Girl? Yes, inspired by it, Mindy Kaling decided to turn that story into a Netflix adaptation.

Jeanie Buss talks about details and dilemmas amidst her new Netflix show

This Netflix show Running Point has credited Jeanie Buss as the executive producer. And Kaling proudly announced that her new venture is “loosely inspired” by Buss’ life. Meanwhile, the 63-year-old Los Angeles Lakers’ boss appeared on The Rich Eisen Show to talk about her new Netflix project. Speaking of the show’s cover, depicts actress Kate Hudson in a red suit sitting on a table with a deflated basketball beside her. Now, Buss’ book Laker Girl’s cover is also something similar. Buss is on the table in a yellow dress, holding a basketball. You can see, Mindy Kaling’s inspiration!

“I appreciate the homage to my book Laker Girl,” Jeanie Buss informed Rich Eisen. “But what I love is the little details and the deflated basketball. Obviously, when I’ve got the ball it’s there but the deflated ball just shows like ‘Hey you know, it’s not perfect. It’s messy. This is a family business, stuff happens.'” It looks like the 63-year-old has drawn inspiration from her life.

Jeanie took the reins of the Los Angeles Lakers after her father Jerry Buss passed away in 2013. She is the third child among the four children of Jerry and Joann, dealing with this $8 billion empire left to her by her dad. Since then, Buss has only aimed for the stars despite the internal family matters that kept recurring.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that Jeanie Buss and her brother Jim Buss had been at odds for years. The tension peaked in 2012 when Jeanie wanted Phil Jackson back as head coach, but Jim chose Mike D’Antoni instead. Her public criticism of his decision in her book Laker Girl only fueled the feud.

Amid the turmoil, Jim made a bold promise—if the Lakers weren’t title contenders within four years, he would step down. Yet, as the clock ticked down, he signed two veteran players to hefty contracts. Many believed these moves prioritized his job security over the team’s future.

Now, coming back to the Netflix Show that might give us a better glimpse into Jeanie Buss’ life as someone who runs a family business in the US. Therefore, it becomes somewhat important to know what inspired Running Point, or even Laker Girl as a matter of fact.

The inspiration behind Running Point

Jeanie Buss added: “I’ve learned that most of the businesses in this country are family-owned businesses. So people will relate to the situations that happen with her family. They trying to run a business but at the end of the day, it’s a family that comes together because they want the team to win and things go better when they all get along and work together.”

Simply put, Running Point shows the life of Isla Gordon (played by Kate Hudson) who runs the family business in style. But there are always ups and downs and how she treads through them. It highlights how, despite business challenges, the family unites for the team’s success, showing that things work better when they cooperate.

Thus, Running Point is more than just a show—it’s a powerful reflection of family, ambition, and the weight of legacy. Isla Gordon’s journey captures the real-life struggles Jeanie Buss faces while steering an $8 billion empire. As the Lakers celebrate new triumphs, Buss pushes beyond the court. Proving that true success comes from balancing power with the people who matter most.