Jeanie Buss Put to Shame by D’Angelo Russell as New Lakers Ownership Gets Strong Message

You know how every reality show has that one moment when the camera zooms in on a cast member sipping tea, wide-eyed, while the background burns? Yeah. That’s Jeanie Buss right now… mid-sip, mid-shade, and smack in the middle of an organizational drama that would make HBO executives salivate. Because D’Angelo Russell just launched a full-blown atmospheric eclipse over the Lakers franchise.

“Where I came from, the structure is not the same,” D’Angelo said in a recent interview, contrasting his time in L.A. with his stint in Brooklyn. No names were needed. The subtext was louder than a playoff crowd after a LeBron chase-down block. Jeanie, girl, he’s talking about you. And Russell didn’t stop there.

He waxed poetic about the Nets’ performance staff, their professionalism, and how they taught him to “sleep, eat, and recover” like a real athlete. For those keeping score, the guy who once played NBA games, looking like he just woke up from a nap, is now giving Brooklyn the credit for his professional rebirth. But it’s bigger than that.

Russell was originally drafted by the Lakers in 2015 and played two seasons in the chaos cauldron that was post-Kobe, pre-LeBron Los Angeles, and then again from 2023 to 24. “I always approach the game to where I just was kind of nonchalant, and I felt like I could just wing it.” His average? A respectable 15.3 points in 265 games, but a maturity curve that looked more like a flat line. Then came Brooklyn. A place where, according to him, “everything was different.” During his time with the Nets, he averaged 17.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 6.2 assists. Growth, thy name is structure. So what changed?

Apparently, everything. From how he recovered from games to how he approached nutrition. You know, basic NBA-level stuff that, based on Russell’s account, was severely lacking during his Los Angeles Lakers debut. And this isn’t just an indictment of the training staff or a swipe at a few coaches. It’s a scorched-earth letter to the top. And that brings us back to Jeanie.

Just days before Russell’s truth bomb, Jeanie Buss and her siblings finalised a deal to sell majority ownership of the Lakers to billionaire sports tycoon Mark Walter, CEO of TWG Global. Valued at an eye-watering $10 billion, the deal instantly became the most expensive transaction in NBA history. Buss still retains a 15% stake and remains the team’s governor, but come on, we all know what it means when someone pays $10 billion for anything. They’re not just here to decorate the owner’s suite.

Jeanie Buss is in the crossfire, yet again

Enter Kendrick Perkins, never one to whisper when he can roar. “You ain’t paying $10 billion without calling shots,” he said. Translation? Jeanie may be in the room, but she might not be the one leading the meeting anymore. And with power shifts come perspective shifts, including how players like Russell feel empowered to, well, tell the truth. Jeanie’s Lakers, at least the version she ran, are being portrayed as a franchise where the vibe was stronger than the vision.

Talent over tactics. Hollywood over health. The fact that D’Angelo Russell‘s comments came unprovoked, years after his initial stint, makes them feel less like a hot take and more like a long-held receipt he’s finally cashing. And guess what? The ripple effects won’t stop with DLo. If Brooklyn is being hailed for professionalism and the Lakers called out for a lack thereof, how does that impact the next free-agent meeting?

The next rookie camp? The next LeBron decision? Especially when LeBron’s power might be shifting in this new ownership dynamic. As Perkins put it, “There’s a new sheriff in town. Or should I say sheriffs?” And with the Buss era officially “sunsetting,” we’re watching an identity crisis in real time. For players and legends who’ve lived through multiple regimes, this might be a pivot point. For newcomers like Bronny James, it’s about to be a crash course in Corporate Rebrand 101. And for LeBron?

This could be one of the most consequential offseasons of his career, with him nearing retirement. He’s no longer just navigating rosters and ring chases. He’s navigating billion-dollar boardrooms and shifting allegiances. Mark Walter didn’t buy the Lakers to blend in. And if Jeanie’s not calling the shots like she used to, then Russell’s candid memories might be the first domino in a much larger culture shift.

Because this story isn’t just about old beef or revisiting bad vibes. It’s about the new DNA of a franchise. Walter, whose sports empire includes the Dodgers and Chelsea FC, thrives on infrastructure and innovation. Two things Russell explicitly said the Lakers lacked during his time there. And maybe that’s the point. The Lakers weren’t broken. They were behind. In an NBA that now values performance metrics, wellness science, and total professionalism, the once-glamorous Lakers might’ve been operating off an outdated script. Now? With Jeanie Buss semi-in, Walter all-in, and Russell unfiltered, the plot just thickened.