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A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers
NBA journalist Yaron Weitzman lays out the high stakes drama happening inside the Lakers' organization as they try to juggle the warring priorities between LeBron James and the Buss family.
When LeBron James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, it looked like a match made in heaven. Here was the preeminent athlete of his generation, fresh off ending Cleveland’s 50-year title drought and in need of a new challenge to help further burnish his legacy, joining forces with one of the most iconic teams in all of sports. And here were the Lakers, in the midst of their worst stretch in franchise history and reeling from the death of the legendary owner Dr. Jerry Buss, in need of a savior. The script wrote itself.
A little over two years later, LeBron and Dr. Buss' daughter, Jeanie, were standing shoulder to shoulder, hoisting the NBA finals trophy into the air. Having won their record-tying 17th NBA title, the Lakers had reclaimed their accustomed perch on top of the basketball world. It looked to be the birth of a new dynasty.
But this was a new Lakers’ franchise, one beset by infighting and years removed from Kobe's prime. And this was LeBron James, the catalyst of the “player empowerment” era, an athlete chasing things greater than Michael Jordan’s ghost. The two parties were too big to peacefully coexist under one roof. The 2020 title would represent the pinnacle of their pairing, and the beginning of a precipitous decline.
Drawing from over 250 interviews, Yaron Weitzman takes readers on a riveting, behind the scenes journey of this fraught partnership. From the Succession-like power struggle between the Buss children, to the rise of LeBron’s landscape-altering talent agency and its attempts to assert its own power within the Lakers’ walls, to the evolution of LeBron’s priorities and political voice, “A Hollywood Ending” is the definitive story of an American icon’s final years on stage, one portraying him, a fabled NBA franchise, and the world of modern professional sports in a light never seen before.
When LeBron James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, it looked like a match made in heaven. Here was the preeminent athlete of his generation, fresh off ending Cleveland’s 50-year title drought and in need of a new challenge to help further burnish his legacy, joining forces with one of the most iconic teams in all of sports. And here were the Lakers, in the midst of their worst stretch in franchise history and reeling from the death of the legendary owner Dr. Jerry Buss, in need of a savior. The script wrote itself.
A little over two years later, LeBron and Dr. Buss' daughter, Jeanie, were standing shoulder to shoulder, hoisting the NBA finals trophy into the air. Having won their record-tying 17th NBA title, the Lakers had reclaimed their accustomed perch on top of the basketball world. It looked to be the birth of a new dynasty.
But this was a new Lakers’ franchise, one beset by infighting and years removed from Kobe's prime. And this was LeBron James, the catalyst of the “player empowerment” era, an athlete chasing things greater than Michael Jordan’s ghost. The two parties were too big to peacefully coexist under one roof. The 2020 title would represent the pinnacle of their pairing, and the beginning of a precipitous decline.
Drawing from over 250 interviews, Yaron Weitzman takes readers on a riveting, behind the scenes journey of this fraught partnership. From the Succession-like power struggle between the Buss children, to the rise of LeBron’s landscape-altering talent agency and its attempts to assert its own power within the Lakers’ walls, to the evolution of LeBron’s priorities and political voice, “A Hollywood Ending” is the definitive story of an American icon’s final years on stage, one portraying him, a fabled NBA franchise, and the world of modern professional sports in a light never seen before.
308 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 21, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 18, 2025
The Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most prominent sports franchises, have never had an issue to attract star players who want to add an NBA championship to their resumes (additional if they already have one or more) and LeBron James is one of those players. His time with the Lakers, as well as some of the lead-up to his signing, is well-documented in this book by Yaron Weitzman.
As a basketball fan who is not a big fan of either James (although I do acknowledge he is one of the best players ever) or the Lakers, I expected this to be very critical of both parties. It wasn’t – I was impressed with how fair Weitzman presented his information. This doesn’t mean everyone is off the hook – especially the children of Dr. Jerry Buss that inherited the team after his death. There are plenty of critical pieces of both the family, James and other parties such as Klutch, the sports agent conglomeration who represented most notably Anthony Davis.
There are plenty of complimentary stories about the Lakers and James as well, and together they paint a great picture of how this chapter of Laker history has its ups and downs. The best of the positive pieces is how the team handled themselves in the “bubble” during the pandemic of 2020, when they won their only championship during the LeBron James era. There’s also the feel-good (to some) story of LeBron playing alongside his son Bronny. The only downside to the entire book I would say is that the ending feels too abrupt, especially after the trade that brought Luka Doncic to the Lakers – unless there’s another book in the plan for a new “era” in Laker history.
I wish to thank Doubleday for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
As a basketball fan who is not a big fan of either James (although I do acknowledge he is one of the best players ever) or the Lakers, I expected this to be very critical of both parties. It wasn’t – I was impressed with how fair Weitzman presented his information. This doesn’t mean everyone is off the hook – especially the children of Dr. Jerry Buss that inherited the team after his death. There are plenty of critical pieces of both the family, James and other parties such as Klutch, the sports agent conglomeration who represented most notably Anthony Davis.
There are plenty of complimentary stories about the Lakers and James as well, and together they paint a great picture of how this chapter of Laker history has its ups and downs. The best of the positive pieces is how the team handled themselves in the “bubble” during the pandemic of 2020, when they won their only championship during the LeBron James era. There’s also the feel-good (to some) story of LeBron playing alongside his son Bronny. The only downside to the entire book I would say is that the ending feels too abrupt, especially after the trade that brought Luka Doncic to the Lakers – unless there’s another book in the plan for a new “era” in Laker history.
I wish to thank Doubleday for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
November 6, 2025
I have to admit that going into this book I expected it to be a hit piece on LeBron and/or the Lakers. It seemed objective to me. I did not have strong feelings about either party (unlike Weitzman's previous book about the process Sixers), so I enjoyed the rundown of the recent Laker history. For all of the attention he has garnered throughout his life, I think LeBron is relatively well adjusted. The fact that he has not slowed down that much is incredible. This was an easy, early morning read.
October 20, 2025
[I was sent an ARC of this book by Doubleday]
This book looks to be thoroughly researched and contains interviews from hundreds of people.
If you read this, take time to read the author’s note, footnotes, and acknowledgements so you know where he is coming from with his sources and process.
My version is an ARC so I know there might be more fact checking to do by the time the final version goes to print and for purchase.
All this said, this book was insightful and clearly written from a labor of effort and passion. It’s a read for not just hoops fans, but those interested in the business of sports and legacy.
This book looks to be thoroughly researched and contains interviews from hundreds of people.
If you read this, take time to read the author’s note, footnotes, and acknowledgements so you know where he is coming from with his sources and process.
My version is an ARC so I know there might be more fact checking to do by the time the final version goes to print and for purchase.
All this said, this book was insightful and clearly written from a labor of effort and passion. It’s a read for not just hoops fans, but those interested in the business of sports and legacy.
Read
October 21, 2025Yaron Weitzman is an asshole and yet he has now for the second time written an essential book for understanding the modern NBA. While there is plenty of new information about LeBron's time with the Lakers here, the most important aspect of this book is how it just synthesizes the already existing reporting to point to the obviousness of the truth: LeBron is really fucking annoying.
This is something that everyone with a clue already knows, but the entire sports media ecosystem wants to pretend is not the case. LeBron simultaneously wants what he wants when he wants it while never being perceived as selfish or as the person pulling the strings.
One of the most maddening aspects of existing in the modern world is that all the information in the world is at our fingertips and yet there is a financial incentive for the powers that be to pretend that very obvious and easy-to-understand truths are not true. One day, everyone will have been against LeBron's nonsense.
This is something that everyone with a clue already knows, but the entire sports media ecosystem wants to pretend is not the case. LeBron simultaneously wants what he wants when he wants it while never being perceived as selfish or as the person pulling the strings.
One of the most maddening aspects of existing in the modern world is that all the information in the world is at our fingertips and yet there is a financial incentive for the powers that be to pretend that very obvious and easy-to-understand truths are not true. One day, everyone will have been against LeBron's nonsense.
October 25, 2025
i love basketball and I love drama!!!!!!
after binging all the insider sports docs netflix had to offer, this book really filled a void in my heart. incredibly interesting and thorough and—considering I am fairly new to the NBA world—I didn't mind that some of the "history" covered here was very recent. it was all new to me and i gobbled it up.
after binging all the insider sports docs netflix had to offer, this book really filled a void in my heart. incredibly interesting and thorough and—considering I am fairly new to the NBA world—I didn't mind that some of the "history" covered here was very recent. it was all new to me and i gobbled it up.
January 14, 2026
6.5/10. Not bad. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge Lebron stan and an NBA nerd, so this book feels like it was written just for me. I love reading about basketball history and especially the business behind it. For all intents and purposes, the book started in 2010 after Kobe won his final NBA title. The series of events that have followed in the 16 years since highlight the incompetence of the Lakers front office as they have struggled to follow in Dr. Buss's footsteps.
I felt old reading this. All of these events were being chronicled as history, but I distinctly remembered when they happened. I think this speaks to the proliferation and availability of NBA news, rumors and drama, but I genuinely think there were only one or two things in this book that weren't already widely known thanks to insiders like Woj or Shams (or the myriad other NBA media or professional tweeters).
For that reason, I couldn't quite discern what was the purpose of writing this book. The dysfunction of the Lakers front office is widely known, so while this did serve as a bit of a takedown, it didn't feel unique or groundbreaking. It more felt like a chronicling of events, like someone flipping through a family photo album. There's nothing bad about that, especially if you love the photos and the people therein, but it just seemed to lack purpose. I think this would have benefited from a definitive point of view or a central thesis. Still enjoyable to read.
I felt old reading this. All of these events were being chronicled as history, but I distinctly remembered when they happened. I think this speaks to the proliferation and availability of NBA news, rumors and drama, but I genuinely think there were only one or two things in this book that weren't already widely known thanks to insiders like Woj or Shams (or the myriad other NBA media or professional tweeters).
For that reason, I couldn't quite discern what was the purpose of writing this book. The dysfunction of the Lakers front office is widely known, so while this did serve as a bit of a takedown, it didn't feel unique or groundbreaking. It more felt like a chronicling of events, like someone flipping through a family photo album. There's nothing bad about that, especially if you love the photos and the people therein, but it just seemed to lack purpose. I think this would have benefited from a definitive point of view or a central thesis. Still enjoyable to read.
November 14, 2025
Loved this book. Sometimes these books are dry and hard to get through, but this one had me hooked. Love the NBA drama!!
November 19, 2025
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: FOR ONCE A WRITER HAS THE CHUTZPAH/CAJONES/INTEGRITY… TO SPELL OUT WHAT’S REALLY WRONG WITH MY BELOVED LAKERS… BEHIND THE PURPLE AND GOLD CURTAIN!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The author… Yaron Weitzman… despite threats from the Lakers legal staff… spells out in unflinching detailed… the at times ludicrously run upper Lakers management… and confirms the beliefs of a lifetime Lakers fan (me) about the self-centered… hypocritical… passive aggressive… current players… epitomized by… China loving… (Don’t worry about the slave labor… just keep cranking out the sneakers!) LeBron James!
The author in addition to the chapter and verse presentation of facts… also has an enjoyable writing M.O of numerous footnotes… to either prove a point… or elucidate a point… with a veritable “WINK-WINK” to the reader… giving a feeling of either “I told you so”… or “the truth is stranger than fiction”… or “who does this fool think they’re fooling”… or one of the most prominent… **THEY REFUSED TO RESPOND” (which the Lakers did quite often!)
So in the spirit of the author’s own style… when sharing a lot of my strong beliefs… and personal historic relations with the Purple and Gold… I will simply state that I’ve been a fan up front and personal with the Lakers since the day they arrived in Los Angeles… and besides attending games all the way back to the days of the Sports Arena… I also learned and patterned my shots and moves after Jerry… Elg… and Wilt. And that led me to being one of the top High School scorers in Los Angeles my senior year… and the top scorer on a championship team in the military during the Viet Nam War era… so you should be able to figure out the year. (Just a sample of the author’s whimsy!)
Though the crux of this book is the Lebron era with the Lakers… Weitzman… does a tremendous job of describing in space and time saving detail of the heights of the Magic/Kareem dynasty… mostly built around former owner Jerry Buss’s ownership skills. The importance of that incursion… is to tie it to the “incubation” of his daughter Jeanie Buss… and how she became the head of the Lakers… and this includes the woeful analysis of all her brothers and sisters… who were not worthy (Not big game James!) of enduring roles in the organization.
Many of her decisions while not Einstein-like… the sheer charisma and world renowned brand of the Lakers… wobbly endured… even as they resulted in the worst won/loss records in many decades. Her inclusion of personal friends like the Rambis’s in team business… was based more on friendship than high powered business acumen.
The description of an almost clownish… disastrous… involvement of Magic Johnson… as a Lakers executive… would have brought heartfelt tears to any Magic/Lakers fan… if it wasn’t so nauseatingly obvious to even a weekend only Lakers fan over the years it occurred.
And the worst of the worst… and a phony… that is probably much more prevalent in Hollywood than in Des Moines, Iowa… is current Lakers executive Rob Pelinka. Pelinka who originally made his way into the Lakers organization… on the coattails of being Kobe Bryant’s agent… where he had already sullied his “honor”… by preaching his single goal of bringing nothing but integrity to the role of an agent… and then earned a reputation as a liar... promising things to teams… that he … without a blink of an eye… did the opposite and screwed the teams he had made his toilet paper promises to.
Once ensconced in Jeanie Buss’s inner circle… he became less than lionized with the rank and file… and along with his constant preaching and inane story telling… that was as unstoppable as a leaky faucet (or running toilet)… he was caught in many unfathomable lies,,, SUCH AS…
“YET THE MORE TIME HIS COLLEAGUES, EMPLOYEES, AND PLAYERS SPENT WITH HIM, THE MORE THEY BEGAN SUSPECTING THAT HE WASN’T JUST TELLING TALES, BUT TAKING LIBERTIES WITH THE TRUTH. LIKE THE TIME PELINKA TOLD A STORY TO THE TEAM ABOUT KOBE BEING WOWED BY HEATH LEDGER’S PERFORMANCE IN *THE DARK KNIGHT* AND ASKING PELINKA TO ARRANGE A DINNER WITH THE ACTOR, WHICH PELINKA SAID HE DID---EVEN THOUGH LEDGER HAD DIED SIX MONTHS BEFORE *THE DARK KNIGHT* WAS RELEASED. AND THE THINKING WENT, IF PELINKA WAS WILLING TO FABRICATE AND EXAGGERATE WHEN IT CAME TO MORE TRIVIAL MATTERS, THEN WHEN EXACTLY COULD HE BE TRUSTED?”
(FORMER COACH) LUKE “WALTON BECAME SO WARY OF PELINKA THAT HE BEGAN INSISTING THAT MEETINGS WITH HIM INCLUDE A THIRD PERSON.”
A really enjoyable part of the book regarding a smaller name in Lakers history is the descriptions of Rajon Rondo. His toughness… the fact that he was a basketball “intellectual”…basketball film junkie… and how much he hated to lose… and I mean lose at anything… and his unbelievable impact on winning the championship in 2020! And then the book nearing the end… highlights even more of the obvious to REAL-EXPERIENCED-FRONT LINE—KNOWLEDGEABLE-FANS… (YES ME!) … when the discussion leads to (My personal moniker…that I assigned!) ***THE-GLASSMAN*** Anthony Davis… the most injured man in modern history!
***IMPORTANT NOTE… AND WARNING*** If you’re reading this review on a computer device… please… oh… please… do not hit the ENTER KEY OR TAB KEY… with anything above the slightest… softest… baby like… mere touch… if you don’t… the reverberation… from wherever you might be on the planet earth… may cause a microscopic change in the current of an atom in the air… and thereby causing “THE-GLASSMAN” Anthony Davis… to go on the injured list!
***WHY DIDN’T YOU LISTEN??*** I just checked and “THE GLASSMAN” is on the injured list as we speak!
And then we’ve got LeBron James and his “relationship” with Rich Paul and the Klutch Sports agency… that literally has almost as much control over the Lakers as Jeannie does. They plan out what players they want with Lebron and then spend 24/7 leveraging the Lakers to get them. And when one… like Russell Westbrook doesn’t work out… LeBron acts like it wasn’t his idea! James also constantly pressures the Lakers to spend all their future capital i.e. draft picks… to help his dwindling career… and luckily with the recent steal/deal of possibly all-time… the LUKA FOR “THE GLASSMAN” (And a few small add-ons.) was consummated… and now the LeBron unlimited leverage has been decimated… because now the Lakers future will be built around Luka.
This fact-based… hard-hitting… up to the minute Lakers expose… also proves… that despite his age… LeBron James still has the ability to lead the league in using DON’T… INSTEAD OF DOESN’T… AIN’T… INSTEAD OF ISN’T! And Palinka swears to it!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The author… Yaron Weitzman… despite threats from the Lakers legal staff… spells out in unflinching detailed… the at times ludicrously run upper Lakers management… and confirms the beliefs of a lifetime Lakers fan (me) about the self-centered… hypocritical… passive aggressive… current players… epitomized by… China loving… (Don’t worry about the slave labor… just keep cranking out the sneakers!) LeBron James!
The author in addition to the chapter and verse presentation of facts… also has an enjoyable writing M.O of numerous footnotes… to either prove a point… or elucidate a point… with a veritable “WINK-WINK” to the reader… giving a feeling of either “I told you so”… or “the truth is stranger than fiction”… or “who does this fool think they’re fooling”… or one of the most prominent… **THEY REFUSED TO RESPOND” (which the Lakers did quite often!)
So in the spirit of the author’s own style… when sharing a lot of my strong beliefs… and personal historic relations with the Purple and Gold… I will simply state that I’ve been a fan up front and personal with the Lakers since the day they arrived in Los Angeles… and besides attending games all the way back to the days of the Sports Arena… I also learned and patterned my shots and moves after Jerry… Elg… and Wilt. And that led me to being one of the top High School scorers in Los Angeles my senior year… and the top scorer on a championship team in the military during the Viet Nam War era… so you should be able to figure out the year. (Just a sample of the author’s whimsy!)
Though the crux of this book is the Lebron era with the Lakers… Weitzman… does a tremendous job of describing in space and time saving detail of the heights of the Magic/Kareem dynasty… mostly built around former owner Jerry Buss’s ownership skills. The importance of that incursion… is to tie it to the “incubation” of his daughter Jeanie Buss… and how she became the head of the Lakers… and this includes the woeful analysis of all her brothers and sisters… who were not worthy (Not big game James!) of enduring roles in the organization.
Many of her decisions while not Einstein-like… the sheer charisma and world renowned brand of the Lakers… wobbly endured… even as they resulted in the worst won/loss records in many decades. Her inclusion of personal friends like the Rambis’s in team business… was based more on friendship than high powered business acumen.
The description of an almost clownish… disastrous… involvement of Magic Johnson… as a Lakers executive… would have brought heartfelt tears to any Magic/Lakers fan… if it wasn’t so nauseatingly obvious to even a weekend only Lakers fan over the years it occurred.
And the worst of the worst… and a phony… that is probably much more prevalent in Hollywood than in Des Moines, Iowa… is current Lakers executive Rob Pelinka. Pelinka who originally made his way into the Lakers organization… on the coattails of being Kobe Bryant’s agent… where he had already sullied his “honor”… by preaching his single goal of bringing nothing but integrity to the role of an agent… and then earned a reputation as a liar... promising things to teams… that he … without a blink of an eye… did the opposite and screwed the teams he had made his toilet paper promises to.
Once ensconced in Jeanie Buss’s inner circle… he became less than lionized with the rank and file… and along with his constant preaching and inane story telling… that was as unstoppable as a leaky faucet (or running toilet)… he was caught in many unfathomable lies,,, SUCH AS…
“YET THE MORE TIME HIS COLLEAGUES, EMPLOYEES, AND PLAYERS SPENT WITH HIM, THE MORE THEY BEGAN SUSPECTING THAT HE WASN’T JUST TELLING TALES, BUT TAKING LIBERTIES WITH THE TRUTH. LIKE THE TIME PELINKA TOLD A STORY TO THE TEAM ABOUT KOBE BEING WOWED BY HEATH LEDGER’S PERFORMANCE IN *THE DARK KNIGHT* AND ASKING PELINKA TO ARRANGE A DINNER WITH THE ACTOR, WHICH PELINKA SAID HE DID---EVEN THOUGH LEDGER HAD DIED SIX MONTHS BEFORE *THE DARK KNIGHT* WAS RELEASED. AND THE THINKING WENT, IF PELINKA WAS WILLING TO FABRICATE AND EXAGGERATE WHEN IT CAME TO MORE TRIVIAL MATTERS, THEN WHEN EXACTLY COULD HE BE TRUSTED?”
(FORMER COACH) LUKE “WALTON BECAME SO WARY OF PELINKA THAT HE BEGAN INSISTING THAT MEETINGS WITH HIM INCLUDE A THIRD PERSON.”
A really enjoyable part of the book regarding a smaller name in Lakers history is the descriptions of Rajon Rondo. His toughness… the fact that he was a basketball “intellectual”…basketball film junkie… and how much he hated to lose… and I mean lose at anything… and his unbelievable impact on winning the championship in 2020! And then the book nearing the end… highlights even more of the obvious to REAL-EXPERIENCED-FRONT LINE—KNOWLEDGEABLE-FANS… (YES ME!) … when the discussion leads to (My personal moniker…that I assigned!) ***THE-GLASSMAN*** Anthony Davis… the most injured man in modern history!
***IMPORTANT NOTE… AND WARNING*** If you’re reading this review on a computer device… please… oh… please… do not hit the ENTER KEY OR TAB KEY… with anything above the slightest… softest… baby like… mere touch… if you don’t… the reverberation… from wherever you might be on the planet earth… may cause a microscopic change in the current of an atom in the air… and thereby causing “THE-GLASSMAN” Anthony Davis… to go on the injured list!
***WHY DIDN’T YOU LISTEN??*** I just checked and “THE GLASSMAN” is on the injured list as we speak!
And then we’ve got LeBron James and his “relationship” with Rich Paul and the Klutch Sports agency… that literally has almost as much control over the Lakers as Jeannie does. They plan out what players they want with Lebron and then spend 24/7 leveraging the Lakers to get them. And when one… like Russell Westbrook doesn’t work out… LeBron acts like it wasn’t his idea! James also constantly pressures the Lakers to spend all their future capital i.e. draft picks… to help his dwindling career… and luckily with the recent steal/deal of possibly all-time… the LUKA FOR “THE GLASSMAN” (And a few small add-ons.) was consummated… and now the LeBron unlimited leverage has been decimated… because now the Lakers future will be built around Luka.
This fact-based… hard-hitting… up to the minute Lakers expose… also proves… that despite his age… LeBron James still has the ability to lead the league in using DON’T… INSTEAD OF DOESN’T… AIN’T… INSTEAD OF ISN’T! And Palinka swears to it!
November 30, 2025
This is a good book on the very recent era of the LA Lakers: post-Jerry Buss and with LeBron James. The team is trying to surpass the Celtics for most NBA titles in league history, the Buss kids vie for power in with each other and credibility overall, and James tries to close out his career with some more success.
Jeanie Buss wins control of the team over her older brother, the Lakers (led by LeBron) win another title in the Bubble in 2020. There is also plenty of turbulence on and off the court as the team keeps going through coaches (though, to be fair, that's almost every NBA team these days), and there are shifting power centers with the relationship between the Lakers and the agency run by LeBron's agent. The team comes off the best during the pandemic when James rallies the team together on and off the court to keep them focused, while also getting heavily involved in political activism and being a good citizen during the peak of the #BlackLivesMatter movement that summer. Other times, James can come off pentulent, but he still seems remarkably grounded for a guy who has lived his entire adult life in the public fishbowl. GM Rob Pelinka seems like he shouldn't come off very well, with his penchant for acting alone and shutting out others, but he makes a series of generally quality moves. Owner Jeanie Buss usually comes off well, but there is a clear sense of small-time Mom & Pop store with the Buss family ownership. You know who really comes off poorly here? Magic Johnson, who the book portrays as a woefully incompetent executive - and a lot less nice away from the cameras.
The book ain't perfect. It seriously needs an index, and perhaps a cast of characters up front. The ending is pretty sudden. Clearly Weitzman didn't expect the Luka trade or the Buss family to sell in the 2024-25 season. While those events make a nice end to this narrative, the actual ending written is far to perfunctary to wrap up the narrative. Most annoyingly, the book tends to have this passive-aggressive condensing attitude towards the subject. Often you can see why that's the case when someone does something short-sightened and/or self-serving, but ..... they win more then they lose overall.
Jeanie Buss wins control of the team over her older brother, the Lakers (led by LeBron) win another title in the Bubble in 2020. There is also plenty of turbulence on and off the court as the team keeps going through coaches (though, to be fair, that's almost every NBA team these days), and there are shifting power centers with the relationship between the Lakers and the agency run by LeBron's agent. The team comes off the best during the pandemic when James rallies the team together on and off the court to keep them focused, while also getting heavily involved in political activism and being a good citizen during the peak of the #BlackLivesMatter movement that summer. Other times, James can come off pentulent, but he still seems remarkably grounded for a guy who has lived his entire adult life in the public fishbowl. GM Rob Pelinka seems like he shouldn't come off very well, with his penchant for acting alone and shutting out others, but he makes a series of generally quality moves. Owner Jeanie Buss usually comes off well, but there is a clear sense of small-time Mom & Pop store with the Buss family ownership. You know who really comes off poorly here? Magic Johnson, who the book portrays as a woefully incompetent executive - and a lot less nice away from the cameras.
The book ain't perfect. It seriously needs an index, and perhaps a cast of characters up front. The ending is pretty sudden. Clearly Weitzman didn't expect the Luka trade or the Buss family to sell in the 2024-25 season. While those events make a nice end to this narrative, the actual ending written is far to perfunctary to wrap up the narrative. Most annoyingly, the book tends to have this passive-aggressive condensing attitude towards the subject. Often you can see why that's the case when someone does something short-sightened and/or self-serving, but ..... they win more then they lose overall.
October 29, 2025
Great Read
Yaron Weitzman’s A Hollywood Ending captures not only the drama of LeBron James’s tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers but also something much deeper about the modern NBA: the shift from team-centered greatness to brand-centered legacy.
Basketball, at its core, has always been a game defined by connection—Larry Bird’s bond with Boston, Magic Johnson’s lifelong devotion to the Lakers, Michael Jordan’s relentless partnership with the Bulls, and the loyalty of players like John Havlicek and Isiah Thomas who built dynasties through unity and endurance. LeBron James, however, represents a new archetype—the superstar as free agent of destiny.
Weitzman chronicles LeBron’s time in L.A. with sharp reporting and narrative flair, but the heart of the book lies in how it exposes what everyone already senses: LeBron’s career has been less about belonging to a team and more about controlling his own myth. He joined franchises not out of love for the jersey but out of calculation—where could he best position himself to collect another ring and climb closer to Jordan’s six?
In doing so, LeBron redefined the player-franchise relationship. He became not a teammate but an institution unto himself—an executive, a brand, a corporation. Yet, as Weitzman subtly reveals, that control comes at a cost. LeBron’s endless maneuvering makes him appear, as many quietly admit, insufferably self-involved. He wants the credit without the blame, the glory without the grind of continuity.
Weitzman’s book synthesizes years of reporting to illuminate a truth that sports media often tiptoes around: LeBron James is both brilliant and exhausting, a man who changed the NBA by making the individual brand more important than the team. A Hollywood Ending shows us that, in chasing greatness, LeBron may have forever changed what greatness even means.
Yaron Weitzman’s A Hollywood Ending captures not only the drama of LeBron James’s tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers but also something much deeper about the modern NBA: the shift from team-centered greatness to brand-centered legacy.
Basketball, at its core, has always been a game defined by connection—Larry Bird’s bond with Boston, Magic Johnson’s lifelong devotion to the Lakers, Michael Jordan’s relentless partnership with the Bulls, and the loyalty of players like John Havlicek and Isiah Thomas who built dynasties through unity and endurance. LeBron James, however, represents a new archetype—the superstar as free agent of destiny.
Weitzman chronicles LeBron’s time in L.A. with sharp reporting and narrative flair, but the heart of the book lies in how it exposes what everyone already senses: LeBron’s career has been less about belonging to a team and more about controlling his own myth. He joined franchises not out of love for the jersey but out of calculation—where could he best position himself to collect another ring and climb closer to Jordan’s six?
In doing so, LeBron redefined the player-franchise relationship. He became not a teammate but an institution unto himself—an executive, a brand, a corporation. Yet, as Weitzman subtly reveals, that control comes at a cost. LeBron’s endless maneuvering makes him appear, as many quietly admit, insufferably self-involved. He wants the credit without the blame, the glory without the grind of continuity.
Weitzman’s book synthesizes years of reporting to illuminate a truth that sports media often tiptoes around: LeBron James is both brilliant and exhausting, a man who changed the NBA by making the individual brand more important than the team. A Hollywood Ending shows us that, in chasing greatness, LeBron may have forever changed what greatness even means.
October 25, 2025
A Hollywood Ending by Yaron Weitzman is not just a sports book it’s a study in ego, empire, and the precarious balance between greatness and governance. With journalistic precision and dramatic flair, Weitzman dissects the modern Lakers dynasty-that-never-was, revealing how ambition, politics, and power collided inside one of the most mythic franchises in sports.
Through over 250 interviews, Weitzman takes us behind closed doors to witness the uneasy marriage between LeBron James , the most calculating superstar of his era , and the Buss family, heirs to a Hollywood-style basketball kingdom trying to maintain relevance in a player-driven age.
This is Succession set courtside: clashing visions, blurred loyalties, and the unrelenting pressure to turn legacy into longevity. Weitzman captures not just the spectacle of the Lakers’ return to glory in 2020, but the dissonance that followed , a sobering portrait of how dynasties crumble from within.
Smart, propulsive, and steeped in context, A Hollywood Ending transcends the box score. It’s essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the business of celebrity, the culture of modern sport, and the cost of sustaining greatness in a world that moves faster than even LeBron can drive the lane.
Through over 250 interviews, Weitzman takes us behind closed doors to witness the uneasy marriage between LeBron James , the most calculating superstar of his era , and the Buss family, heirs to a Hollywood-style basketball kingdom trying to maintain relevance in a player-driven age.
This is Succession set courtside: clashing visions, blurred loyalties, and the unrelenting pressure to turn legacy into longevity. Weitzman captures not just the spectacle of the Lakers’ return to glory in 2020, but the dissonance that followed , a sobering portrait of how dynasties crumble from within.
Smart, propulsive, and steeped in context, A Hollywood Ending transcends the box score. It’s essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the business of celebrity, the culture of modern sport, and the cost of sustaining greatness in a world that moves faster than even LeBron can drive the lane.
November 13, 2025
Yaron Weitzman is a longtime favorite of mine because he thinks about sports reporting similarly to the way I approach political reporting. He doesn’t just recount what the players do, he digs into the competing ideas and values they represent: What does it mean to be LeBron James, a symbol of greatness and 21st century America as well as a person, and how does that shape the people and organizations around him? His primary interest is in the team — how franchises function as institutions that are influenced by individual personalities and investor goals, but also history and shared culture, and are defined by the ways they can adapt to the league’s shifting rules, on-court strategies, and off-court trends. My one knock on this book is that — like he does so often — LeBron threw out the script for it by continuing to be a relevant All-NBA talent all the way to the start of this season. I think we need to get through his career to get the full perspective on his Lakers tenure, especially when the book ends on such a fascinating note, with Luka Doncic taking over as Alpha, Austin Reaves rising right behind him, and the Lakers considered a no-doubt contender again. Instead, I’ll have to look for the sequel.
November 19, 2025
Just with his book on the Philadelphia 76ers, Mr. Weitzman's research and non-fictional storytelling and storysetting is top notch. This is a nice follow-up read to Jeff Pearlman's 'Three-Ring Circus' which was focused on the L.A. Lakers during the Shaq and Kobe pairing as you as the reader will have more of an appreciation for the Buss family dynamics. Mr. Weitzman defintely gives you more of an appreciation for how Rich Paul is a self-made man and the qualities that make his special bond with Adele so logical. Despite LeBron being the major focus, you don't neccessarily walk away with a better sense of his psyche and leadership style that I expected. What was a nice surprise was to the insight of the 2020 Championship run in the Disney World Bubble of which we have got glimpses of from Jared Dudley and Ben Golliver's books but a Lakers focus went a long way. Defintely a top sports read of 2025!
As I took this in as an audiobook, my biggest complaint is with the audiobook narrator David Lee Garver who somehow pronounced Antetokounmpo correctly but misprounced consistently softball NBA names like D'Antoni, Gobert among others. Have an actual NBA fan do future narrations!
As I took this in as an audiobook, my biggest complaint is with the audiobook narrator David Lee Garver who somehow pronounced Antetokounmpo correctly but misprounced consistently softball NBA names like D'Antoni, Gobert among others. Have an actual NBA fan do future narrations!
October 22, 2025
Yaron Weitzman’s A Hollywood Ending is a gripping chronicle of ambition, legacy, and power inside one of the most storied franchises in sports history. With sharp insight and journalistic precision, Weitzman takes readers behind the curtain of the modern Los Angeles Lakers, revealing the intricate balance of egos, influence, and aspiration that define the LeBron James era.
This isn’t just a basketball story it’s a story of dynasty and decline, of how greatness is built and undone by the same human forces that make it possible. Through more than 250 interviews, Weitzman exposes the political chess game between the Buss family, LeBron’s empire, and the ever-shifting tides of NBA power.
What makes this book shine is its cinematic storytelling. It reads like an HBO drama, full of tension, triumph, and the bittersweet reality that even legends have expiration dates. A Hollywood Ending cements itself as one of the most revealing sports narratives of our time bold, intelligent, and impossible to put down.
This isn’t just a basketball story it’s a story of dynasty and decline, of how greatness is built and undone by the same human forces that make it possible. Through more than 250 interviews, Weitzman exposes the political chess game between the Buss family, LeBron’s empire, and the ever-shifting tides of NBA power.
What makes this book shine is its cinematic storytelling. It reads like an HBO drama, full of tension, triumph, and the bittersweet reality that even legends have expiration dates. A Hollywood Ending cements itself as one of the most revealing sports narratives of our time bold, intelligent, and impossible to put down.
December 10, 2025
It's another book on an entertaining chapter of Lakers basketball. There's an interesting tension that I felt throughout the book: yes, it's Luka's team. But what does LeBron do now? Is the LeBron era over, even though he's still on the team? I wish Weitzman had asked these questions at the end of the book when he briefly reviews the Luka trade.
I also had a hard time fully connecting to the book because of the anonymous sources. This is just a preference for me and more comprehensive looks at "eras" of certain sports franchises work better with the passage of time in my mind. You do lose the sense of "unauthorized" or bombastic account angle, even if the book only has a few moments like that and reads more like a Wikipedia entry. Didn't hate, just wanted to like it more.
I also had a hard time fully connecting to the book because of the anonymous sources. This is just a preference for me and more comprehensive looks at "eras" of certain sports franchises work better with the passage of time in my mind. You do lose the sense of "unauthorized" or bombastic account angle, even if the book only has a few moments like that and reads more like a Wikipedia entry. Didn't hate, just wanted to like it more.
November 14, 2025
A walk down recent Laker memory lane!
Really enjoyed this book as a lifelong Laker fan. I feel it went out of its way to show an unbiased insider perspective on what the Lakers are today and what they could have been (the potential for another Showtime run was there after the bubble championship but feel apart so quickly). It also does a good job of depicting how much has changed in the way the NBA operates now versus even 10 years ago. It’s going to get even crazier with AI’s influence. While Lebron and Clutch were covered well, I left wanting a lot more here on their impacts on the NBA…both positive and negative…perhaps that’s a topic for another book?
Really enjoyed this book as a lifelong Laker fan. I feel it went out of its way to show an unbiased insider perspective on what the Lakers are today and what they could have been (the potential for another Showtime run was there after the bubble championship but feel apart so quickly). It also does a good job of depicting how much has changed in the way the NBA operates now versus even 10 years ago. It’s going to get even crazier with AI’s influence. While Lebron and Clutch were covered well, I left wanting a lot more here on their impacts on the NBA…both positive and negative…perhaps that’s a topic for another book?
January 4, 2026
I would call myself a casual basketball fan but I got interested in this book after reading an excerpt online (can't remember if it was Vulture or ESPN). In any event once I downloaded it I was hooked. This is a very well reported and well sourced look at the LA Lakers. Even if you're not a major basketball fan the insight into the way the NBA, individual teams, agents and players operate within the ecosystem was an entertaining read. By far my favorite chapter was the one focused on Russell Westbrook's stint with the Lakers. Highly recommend for both basketball and non-basketball fans if you enjoy a fast moving narrative.
November 7, 2025
Yaron Weitzman's latest book is a masterpiece. Insightful, entertaining, and detailed without coming off as overly intrusive, and sooo much fun. I learned a lot about the Lakers organization and their history, as well as profiles about LeBron James, Russell Westbrook. Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka, Jeanie Buss, and so much more on a more personal level. The book wasn't heavy in terms of game detail-but that wasn't the point of it, and I appreciated it for the type of book that it is-which is a really good one. I can't recommend it enough.
November 12, 2025
The book is well-written, funny, and rigorously reported. You’ll have a blast reading it and you’ll learn a lot about a number of intriguing personalities. There is also no shortage of humorous and dramatic anecdotes.
Withholding a star because unfortunately the Luka trade clearly happened after the book was all but printed, so one of the most important events in the history of the Lakers, and certainly the LeBron era Lakers, is relegated to a single, short chapter at the end. It felt rushed, forced, and incongruous with the rest of the book.
Withholding a star because unfortunately the Luka trade clearly happened after the book was all but printed, so one of the most important events in the history of the Lakers, and certainly the LeBron era Lakers, is relegated to a single, short chapter at the end. It felt rushed, forced, and incongruous with the rest of the book.
November 20, 2025
A fun read filled with entertaining behind-the-scenes stories. My favorite moment was the Will Smith visit, where LeBron—after initially trying to duck out—ended up hijacking the entire interaction.
That said, if you follow basketball closely, not much here will feel new. Most of the major beats are things I’ve already heard on podcasts or read on ESPN or The Ringer. Nothing in the book really surprised me.
Still, it’s an engaging and well-told account of the LeBron-era Lakers, and I’d recommend it to sports fans, Lakers fans, or anyone who likes LeBron James.
That said, if you follow basketball closely, not much here will feel new. Most of the major beats are things I’ve already heard on podcasts or read on ESPN or The Ringer. Nothing in the book really surprised me.
Still, it’s an engaging and well-told account of the LeBron-era Lakers, and I’d recommend it to sports fans, Lakers fans, or anyone who likes LeBron James.
November 13, 2025
Well researched and engaging with lots of fun behind the scenes wheeling and dealing. Especially loved getting to know players like Pelinka and Rich Paul better. More than once though I wondered why the author chose to milk certain folks bad moments more than their good moments. No one is a saint 24/7, in pressure cooker situations sometimes we fans and spectators could stand to show a bit more grace. Basically, the writer isn’t fully beating the hit piece allegations but, hey, I kept reading!
December 6, 2025
Книга серед іншого розглядає еволюцію політичного голосу ЛеБрона. Хоча він колись сподівався тримати спорт окремо від політики, події 2020 року змінили його підхід. Вайцман показує, як ЛеБрон став більш відвертим з питань соціальної справедливості, використовуючи свою платформу для активізму. Це додало ще один вимір до його публічної персони, але також створило додаткову напругу всередині організації, яка намагалася орієнтуватися у складному ландшафті спорту та політики.
December 19, 2025
Stock watch!
LeBron: up and down. Honestly crazy that the worst thing he’s ever done is be corny.
Rich Paul: Way up! Good for him, crazy story.
Rob Pelinka: down. Pretty crazy but at least he’s that.
Russ: up. Liked that he didn’t like LeBron
Magic Johnson: up. Awesome.
Earvin Johnson: down. Awesome to be “not a desk guy”
AD: way down. Lame.
Dr. Jim Buss: down. Bad dad.
Jeanie Buss: up. Clearly cares.
The other Busses: down. Clown show.
LeBron: up and down. Honestly crazy that the worst thing he’s ever done is be corny.
Rich Paul: Way up! Good for him, crazy story.
Rob Pelinka: down. Pretty crazy but at least he’s that.
Russ: up. Liked that he didn’t like LeBron
Magic Johnson: up. Awesome.
Earvin Johnson: down. Awesome to be “not a desk guy”
AD: way down. Lame.
Dr. Jim Buss: down. Bad dad.
Jeanie Buss: up. Clearly cares.
The other Busses: down. Clown show.
January 4, 2026
The world doesn't need more books on the Los Angeles Lakers or LeBron James, but this one is a decent history of the recent adventures of both. Several things make this one readable... an appropriately cynical look at the images of both player and team, some of the funniest footnotes this side of Bill Simmons, and the single finest paragraph ever written about the bullshit associated with the modern NBA. Just look for the graph on Page 214 that begins "LeBron's message was clear."
October 22, 2025
If you follow the Lakers and LeBron James closely there’s almost nothing new in this book. Maybe two or three interesting anecdotes here I haven’t heard before. The first 2/3 of the book which covers LeBron’s first two seasons including the 2020 title with the Lakers is pretty good, after that it kind of drags. Not particularly insightful.
September 17, 2025
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.
This book does a good job of detailing LeBron’s Lakers tenure, providing valuable insight into all the parties involved. I came away not liking LeBron quite as much though.
This book does a good job of detailing LeBron’s Lakers tenure, providing valuable insight into all the parties involved. I came away not liking LeBron quite as much though.
October 27, 2025
First half or so, before the bubble and Covid, is truly amazing stuff. Everything after is ok, with large chunks worth skipping. I come to these books for the crazy anecdotes and the tragedy. Back half just didn’t have enough juice, even with the struggles.
October 30, 2025
Great read about a fascinating story - was so easy to follow as someone with minimal basketball knowledge who loves reading about the dynamics of organizations. Very well written and so easy to digest!
November 9, 2025
interesting story but the writing and side notes are a bit casual
some things went into depth but then really shallow
no first hand/primary sources from the central cast but would they tell what happened
some things went into depth but then really shallow
no first hand/primary sources from the central cast but would they tell what happened
November 27, 2025
Solid look at LeBron’s career and intersection with the Lakers franchise. Nothing totally groundbreaking, but a well told synopsis of the Lakers history and LeBron. If you like sports books at all, this is a solid, easy read!
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