When the Lakers were struggling in early December, injuries derailing what was supposed to have the potential to be a championship season behind James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, she consulted Johnson about the direction of the team. “I just sat down with him,” Buss told The Athletic, “and I said, ‘Should I be concerned? What are you seeing?’ And he just talked about, you know, the injuries and that the team hadn’t had a chance to be together. … So, you know, he’s very calm and insightful. And it, you know, I appreciate his seeing the big picture instead of reacting to every game.”