Rumors

Jeanie Buss, governor of the Lakers, has donated the maximum allowable amount to Spencer Pratt’s mayoral campaign, offering a high-profile boost to a nontraditional candidate in the race to lead Los Angeles. The $1,800 donation, disclosed in a late campaign finance filing posted Monday, comes as the race remains crowded and unsettled ahead of the June 2 primary. “A donation like this is a double benefit,” said Dan Schnur, a longtime California political strategist, and professor at USC, UC Berkeley and Pepperdine. “Not only is the money very helpful to the campaign, but a respected business and community leader like Buss lends an aura of credibility that’s especially valuable to a nontraditional candidate like Pratt.”

Los Angeles Daily News

Sports Central LA: “I’m so proud of her, on what she's been able to do not only with the Lakers but also in the community here in Los Angeles." @MagicJohnson tells us what it meant to him to present the 2026 Wallis Icon Award to Jeanie Buss tonight. #LakeShow @CBSLosAngeles

Twitter

Sports Central LA: At the Wallis Gala earlier tonight, Lakers governor @JeanieBuss shared with us her reflections on receiving the 2026 Wallis Icon Award.

Twitter

Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt made an appearance at Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Lakers on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena. Pratt was spotted in the fourth quarter sitting in former owner Jeanie Buss’ second-row seats behind the court. 

New York Post

Jeanie Buss: I mean, in order to trade somebody like Anthony Davis, it would have to be with approval. Not only that, but a first round draft pick and certainly getting a player of Luka's caliber and being at the beginning end of his career was just an extraordinary opportunity, but it required a lot of strategy and a lot of small steps in order to pull it off. and Rob Pelinka, our general manager, was able to do that all without leaking to the media because I think Mark Cuban might have jumped in front of a train to keep it from happening. 

YouTube

NBA Courtside: Jeanie Buss on how the Luka Doncic trade went down: “Dallas wanted Anthony Davis and he was on our team. Conversations started but it was important they remained private…. Those conversations started in the beginning of January… Rob Pelinka was able to pull it off all without it leaking to the media because I think Mark Cuban would’ve jumped in front of a train to keep it from happening. Nobody knew including Luka, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James. We had a game in New York that night, the coach knew this was going to happen but he still had to coach the game. It wasn’t a distraction” (Via https://youtu.be/gHPMuGZe3IE?si=gMgVyp6VAiYhwCrL…)

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Yashar Ali: Jeanie Buss, the billionaire businesswoman and governor of the LA Lakers, has donated the maximum allowable amount to the mayoral campaign of @spencerpratt. Buss and her family sold their majority stake in the Lakers at a $10 billion valuation in 2025 but still maintain a 15% ownership stake.

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Jeanie Buss: Those conversations started the beginning of January, right? I'll never forget that's when all of Los Angeles was on fire. In order to trade somebody like Anthony Davis, it would have to be with [my] approval and… certainly getting a player of Luka's caliber and him being at the beginning end of his career was just an extraordinary opportunity. But it required a lot of strategy and a lot of small steps in order to pull it off. And Rob Pelinka... was able to do that all with it out leaking to the media, because I think Mark Cuban might have jumped in front of a train to keep it from happening. Nobody knew, including Luka. And Anthony Davis. And we had a game in New York that night. And so the coach knew that this was gonna happen, but he still had to play the game. And we won the game that night... Then all the world turned upside down.

Instagram

How badly would you want LeBron James to remain a Laker and retire a Los Angeles Laker?” Jeanie Buss: “Well, I've always said I want to see him retire as a Laker. But he's going to be a free agent. It's really his decision to make. He is a valuable player in this league, even in his 23rd season. It's incredible what he's done. But, you know, the decision's going to be his, he's a free agent, and I'm sure he's going to look at all his opportunities. Or not. Maybe he just wants to go out quietly. I mean, certainly I think one of the biggest gifts that Kobe gave us was that he told us in November of his last season that it was going to be his last season. So we got a chance to celebrate him. And every city he went to, I think he was even blown away at the fans in Sacramento, the fans in Boston, really showing so much love to him. And I think that LeBron would probably experience the same thing. But I think it's really up to the individual what they are comfortable with. And so, you know, LeBron has all the cards.”

Sirius XM

Jeanie Buss on Luka Doncic: “I knew he was a great player, an All-Star, but the fact that he joins the Lakers and immediately becomes the number one selling jersey in the NBA, that he led the league in scoring. I knew he was good. What he brings to us globally in terms of fans, we just have so much to look forward to, to watch him continue to grow. And he's a winner. He wants to win. And, of course, I have a soft spot in my heart for him because the last time I saw Kobe alive was about a month before he passed, he came to the Lakers-Dallas game with Gigi, because Luka was Gigi's favorite player. So I know that Kobe would be excited that he's now a Laker and will continue to lead this franchise into the foreseeable future.”

Sirius XM

Jeanie Buss: “[Redick] handles pressure really well. As a former NBA player, playing for Duke University, he's been through a lot and he brings that steadiness, that calmness, that desire to execute, the obsession about basketball. Last year we had a major trade when Anthony Davis left and Luka Doncic joined us, and he didn't miss a beat. He was able to reconfigure and get into a new direction, and I think a lot of rookie head coaches might have been thrown off a lot by that. But instead, JJ rose to the challenge and he continues to do that.”

Sirius XM

Jeanie Buss: “Certainly, we have our backs against the wall going into the playoffs with two starters injured. But he's managed to get us through the last two weeks of the regular season, which leads us to the amazing feats of LeBron James and what he continues to do on the court and really literally put a team on his back to lead us into the playoffs.”

Sirius XM

For a player of his stature, one who has been relentlessly recruited for the entirety of his storied career, this was a notable shift. What’s more, there was the now-infamous statement from James’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, who questioned whether the Lakers were willing to build a championship contender before James’ playing days were done. An ESPN report in late January only made matters worse, as it highlighted the sometimes-difficult dynamics between James and longtime owner Jeanie Buss. “It’s really not right, given all the great things LeBron has done for the Lakers, that he has to be pulled into my family drama,” Buss told The Athletic in response to the ESPN story. “To say that it wasn’t appreciated is just not true and completely unfair to him.”

New York Times

Luka Doncic: I am grateful to the NBPA for advocating on my behalf and to the NBA for their fair decision. It was so important to me to be present for the birth of my daughter in December and I appreciate Mark, Jeanie, Rob, JJ, and the entire Lakers organization for fully supporting me and allowing me to travel to be there. This season has been so special to me because of what my teammates and I have been able to accomplish, and I am honored to have the opportunity to be considered for the league’s end-of-season awards.

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