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Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James sports No. 23 on both sides of his uniform and on a patch on the upper right chest<\/a> of his jersey.<\/p>\n While that recent accoutrement honors James\u2019 record-setting 23rd season in the NBA, his reported esteem \u2014 or lack thereof \u2014 in the organization lately seemingly casts him as an accessory to a crime instead.<\/p>\n An ESPN report Wednesday suggested that constant bickering within the Buss family ultimately triggered the October sale of the franchise. It also poured doubt on the relationship between James and minority owner Jeanie Buss, with Buss apparently miffed about LBJ\u2019s power<\/a> within the organization.<\/p>\n As conjecture festers and social-media trade proposals swirl, the erstwhile franchise savior insists he doesn\u2019t care about such outside noise. Perhaps James will take that stance from new digs soon.<\/p>\n Given the recent drama, it\u2019s easy to forget how the season began with James and fans merely angling for him to be on the move within the Lakers\u2019 practice facility.<\/p>\n A bout with sciatica \u2014 a clinical pain, if not a perceived one \u2014 delayed his debut until Nov. 18. James has helped keep the Lakers steady since. At 41, he ranks third in scoring (22.5 points a game) and rebounding (6.0) and is second with 6.9 assists.<\/p>\n LA entered the weekend in a fight for a top-six seed in the Western Conference and among a slew of teams trying to keep defending NBA champion Oklahoma City from running away with the West.<\/p>\n If it\u2019s off-court distractions the Lakers wish to remove \u2014 namely those with Klutch Sports, the agency representing James that also was cited in the ESPN report \u2014 its client carries a no-trade clause and approval rights over any potential deal.<\/p>\n When reporters asked James after Thursday\u2019s loss to the crosstown LA Clippers if he was hopeful to remain with the Lakers, his reply was cryptic: \u201cI\u2019m good. I\u2019m good. \u2026 I\u2019m good.\u201d<\/p>\n James\u2019 standing among Lakers\u2019 brass could be much better among certain onlookers.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, LeBron is not Kobe as it pertains to what he means to the Lakers. He\u2019s not Magic as to what he means to the Lakers,\u201d ESPN\u2019s Stephen A. Smith said during a segment of First Take<\/i> on Friday. \u201cBut my God, the level of appreciation for him should be exponentially higher than it is. Because of when he arrived.<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t have to come to Los Angeles. Nobody else was getting there.\u201d<\/p>\n The Lakers, of course, won the NBA title in James\u2019 second season in 2020 and have made the playoffs in five of his seven seasons in LA.<\/p>\n Los Angeles finished no better than 12 games below .500 in the four seasons before James arrived.<\/p>\n What, again, is there to resent?<\/p>\n In the same vein, Buss said in a statement to The Athletic<\/i> that: \u201cIt\u2019s really not right, given all the great things LeBron has done for the Lakers, that he has to be pulled into my family drama. To say that it wasn\u2019t appreciated is just not true and completely unfair to him.\u201d<\/p>\n Other rumblings have Buss ticketed to meet with James and agent Rich Paul soon to clear the air. How long they remain professionally linked<\/a> after that remains to be seen.<\/p>\n Certain as James wears No. 23 in three spots on his jersey, though, there figures to be no end of speculation.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n