A surprising report has linked LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers, and team owner Jeanie Buss to a legal dispute involving journalist Yaron Weitzman over a story centered on Russell Westbrook’s turbulent time in LA.
Weitzman, who published a detailed feature about Westbrook’s struggles with the Lakers, shared that his reporting didn’t sit well with the team. In the piece, Weitzman quoted Westbrook saying, “I hate that fake sht, I just can’t do it.”* The quote was reportedly aimed at the locker room atmosphere during his stint alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Following that article, Buss allegedly turned to Hollywood’s well-known defamation lawyer Marty Singer, who has represented A-list clients, to handle the matter. Weitzman revealed, “I did that for the Lakers, and instead of getting on the phone with me, they decided to hire a famous defamation lawyer named Marty Singer to handle their dealings with me, and he eventually sent me a very strongly written letter.”
From the way Weitzman narrated the events, even if they were based on interviews with people involved and had been fact-checked, it suggested that there was a disconnect between the Lakers’ leadership and their players.
None of this directly points to LeBron James. But it is a little bit of an open secret that he’s been known for carefully managing his public image.
It’s another reminder that in Los Angeles, the spotlight isn’t just on the court — it follows everyone tied to the purple and gold, including those writing about it.
Lakers’ Legal Move Against Reporter Raises Eyebrows In LeBron James Camp
Journalist Yaron Weitzman shed more light on his legal clash with the Lakers, revealing the details of the letter sent by attorney Marty Singer, reportedly on behalf of Jeanie Buss. The exchange added another wrinkle to the already complicated perception of the organization — one that inevitably pulls LeBron James into the narrative because of his influence within the team.
Weitzman recalled that Singer’s letter attacked both his reporting and his credibility. “For example, they said that my reporting was ‘Full of thinly-veiled misogynistic smears, revealing a chauvinism and negative bias that undermines the reliability of my sources.’”
Singer’s message didn’t stop there. Weitzman continued, “Singer then punctuated the letter by adding that, ‘I want to be incredibly clear with you. There are many times when individuals threaten to sue with neither the reputation to stand up or scrutiny nor the resources to pursue a strong libel claim. Please have no doubt neither of these issues apply here.’”
Whether or not legal action continues, or if LeBron James had even the slightest of influence in this, the episode shows how image, power, and control often collide in professional basketball — and how even a story about a former player can shake the very foundation of the franchise.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
