Jeanie Buss posts interesting tweet amid offseason rumors

Nov 20, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers President Jeanie Buss before the game against the Chicago Bulls at Staples Center. Bulls won 118-110. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Social media detectives had their magnifying glasses out over what Jeanie Buss tweeted during the weekend.

The Los Angeles Lakers owner Buss had an interesting post on Sunday. She tweeted that she missed the late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, particularly for his understanding of “team over self” and “team goals over your own.”

“I miss KB,” Buss wrote. “He would understand and explain everything that I’m not allowed to. Honestly he was the greatest Laker ever. He understood team over self. Meaning your rewards would come if you valued team goals over your own then everything would fall into place. All can reply.”

I miss KB. He would understand and explain everything that I’m not allowed to. Honestly he was the greatest Laker ever. He understood team over self. Meaning your rewards would come if you valued team goals over your own then everything would fall into place. All can reply.

— Jeanie Buss (@JeanieBuss) July 4, 2022

It is possible that Buss was just geniunely missing Bryant, whose sudden death in 2020 is still difficult to get over. But the timing of her tweet was pretty curious in the thick of the offseason, leading many to interpret Buss’ message as a subtweet of current Lakers franchise face LeBron James. The former MVP James is reportedly pushing hard right now for the Lakers to acquire one of his old teammates. The Lakers also continue to make it a point to sign players who, like James, are represented by Klutch Sports. With James about to enter the final season of his contract as well, it feels like his pressure and influence on the Lakers could not be greater.

Buss, who has been the Lakers’ sole controlling owner since 2017, is always extremely meticulous with her words, especially relative to current Lakers. That makes it hard to see what she tweeted here as mere coincidence.