The Los Angeles Lakers are the NBA’s biggest franchise, and with that status comes a lot of drama. Just earlier this season, Governor Jeanie Buss was the subject of a revealing report detailing behind-the-scenes arguments within the organization, and now one ESPN reporter has come forward to discuss the situation.

“The Laker thing is so it’s fascinating because it’s a family, and like great stories in the history of humankind are intertwined with family,” ESPN‘s Brian Windhorst said during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show. “But the Lakers’ decision – the family decision-making – was actually very simple.”

According to Windhorst, the decision came down to numbers. As we all know, the six Buss siblings inherited ownership stakes when the previous owner, Dr. Jerry Buss, passed away. Four votes were required to pass any significant decision. When the two older Buss brothers attempted to squeeze Jeanie, the Governor, out, she aligned herself with her sister and younger brothers, effectively forcing them out and securing her position at the top of the franchise’s power ladder.

The power she earned was twofold: both political and structural. Each sibling held roughly 11% of the Lakers through a family trust, but those shares couldn’t be passed down to their heirs. When a sibling passes away, their share goes back to the trust.

“The last family member standing gets the whole 66%,” Windhorst explained. “If you’re the youngest kids, you know, you’re in your 30s or 40s, you’re like, ‘We’ll see you at your funeral.’ They basically don’t talk to each other.”

That clause altered the math and caused a mindset shift between the siblings still within the organization. They could cash out on the franchise’s value now or risk diminishing influence later, leading to the Lakers’ sale to Mark Walter last year. Windhorst summarized it simply: “It’s just a Game of Thrones.”

The LeBron James Factor and the Power Behind the Curtain for Jeanie Buss

Brian Windhorst’s comments also reframe recent reporting around superstar forward LeBron James. The reports detailing internal tension within the Lakers also added on a potential rift between Buss and James, which both have publicly denied. This becomes important when we recognize other factors at play.

Windhorst pointed to a financial reality that separates the Lakers from the rest of the league. Unlike many smaller-market teams, the Lakers’ revenue has long been powered by a lucrative local television deal with Spectrum. However, this advantage isn’t immune to industry shifts. Regional sports network instability and a shifting media landscape have placed pressure on local deals across the league.

If that revenue drops, as it did for the New York Knicks recently, the financial implications could be enormous. For the Buss siblings, whose wealth is concentrated in team ownership, the changing media landscape is much more critical than for other owners whose businesses are outside the league.

That’s where the “LeBron tax,” or the added pressure and influence that comes with employing the most prominent figure in the league, becomes another variable. All of these factors led to the sale, and now, with Jeanie secured as the Governor going forward, she seems to have navigated the power struggle with precision.