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ESPN Facing Backlash After Changing LeBron James, Luka Doncic Report

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated Jul 13, 2025 3:23 PM ET

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.

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.

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.

LeBron James was notified of the sale of the Lakers through his representatives but didn’t make a public statement. ESPN has updated their article.

This is exactly why I wasn’t buying into the rumors circulating yesterday. It feels like the media is trying to create a story… pic.twitter.com/9bvE8ziXAL
— Lakers Better (@LakersBetter) July 13, 2025