ESPN Facing Backlash After Changing LeBron James, Luka Doncic Report
Speculation around LeBron James' future in Los Angeles continues to swirl, despite the four-time NBA champion opting into his player option for the upcoming season. Even after another strong individual campaign, reports of tension between James and the Los Angeles Lakers have only grown louder in recent weeks.
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That tension reportedly stems from the franchise's recent pivot to build around superstar guard Luka Doncic. According to a recent report from ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne, the Lakers' front office sees Doncic as their long-term centerpiece, which has led some close to James to feel the team isn't fully valuing what he's done for the organization since arriving in 2018.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and guard Luka Doncic (77).Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images
In the report, Windhorst and Shelburne also noted that James hadn't even been notified when the Buss family agreed to sell a majority stake in the Lakers to Mark Walter on June 18 — while Doncic had been given a heads-up and publicly congratulated the move. The original story implied that James was blindsided by the sale and suggested it was another example of the Lakers prioritizing their new star over the 22-time All-Star, who turns 41 in December.
However, after the article was published, ESPN quietly updated the piece, adding that 'sources said James was notified of the sale, via his representation,' but chose not to post about it publicly.
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The walk-back immediately sparked backlash from fans who accused the network of trying to manufacture unnecessary drama.
'They can't just get away with this man. They also lied about the Lakers not offering LeBron a contract,' one fan noted.
'I TOLD Y'ALL THESE GUYS WERE LYING,' another fan said.
'Why are we still calling those 'media'?' a fan questioned.
'ESPN are just a bunch of liars looking to create narratives to generate clicks,' another fan added.
'Brian Windhorst has straight up lied on Bron's name for a long [expletive] time,' another fan posted.
'@ramonashelburne spreading lies about the lakers as usual.. why Ramona?' another fan wrote.
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Related: Lakers' Different Treatment of LeBron James, Luka Doncic Revealed in New Report
Related: Drake's LeBron James Diss on Saturday Turns Heads
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
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