Jeanie Buss Praises 'Committed' Lakers Team for Making Playoffs: 'Would've Been Easy to Give Up' (Exclusive)

The Lakers president tells PEOPLE the team has "found their footing" in the second half of the season

Jeanie Buss is proud of this Lakers squad.

After the first few weeks of the 2022-23 season started, NBA analysts doubted Buss's NBA team would even make the playoffs. As of Tuesday, they hold a 3-1 advantage over the Memphis Grizzlies in their first round of the postseason.

"I'm proud of this Lakers team this season," Buss, 61, tells PEOPLE. "We started off poorly, and it would've been easy to give up," she admits.

But after a handful of midseason trades and additions to the team, the Lakers have "found their footing," says Buss.

"These guys committed to each other and really came in the second half of the season and made a nice playoff push, which is really what the fans want," the Lakers president explains.

With LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the team, Buss thinks the players were forced to "really dig deep" to get back on track after posting a 27-32 record in the first half of the season.

Buss commends this Lakers team, who she says "really loves the playoffs," on their ability to "find something in each other" this season to end on a high note.

"They made that sacrifice for the greater good, for the team, and they've accomplished a lot because of that," she tells PEOPLE.

Related:Lakers' Jeanie Buss Says She Has Dreams of Friend Kobe Bryant That Make Her 'Feel Like He's OK'

One of the brightest spots of the team's season is 24-year-old Austin Reaves.

The Arkansas native has been one of the Lakers' breakout stars alongside James, 38, and Davis, 30. "He's terrific," Buss says of Reaves.

"There's something about him that he just never gives up, and that's inspiring and contagious with his teammates. He does all the little things that get us in a position to be successful," Buss says.

The Grizzlies will host the Lakers on Wednesday night at the FedEx Forum for Game 5 of their series.

Memphis fell short to the Lakers in Los Angeles in their last meeting in Game 4 on Monday.

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During Game 3, Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks was tossed from the game early in the third quarter after he swung out his left arm and hit James in the groin while the Lakers star was dribbling up the court.

James laid on the floor in pain while referees gathered and soon ejected Brooks, 27, for a flagrant 2 foul.

Brooks refused to answer questions about the incident after the game. However, after the Grizzlies' practice on Sunday, Brooks blamed his ejection from the game on others' perception of him.

"The media making me a villain, the fans making me a villain and then that just creates a whole different persona on me," Brooks told reporters Sunday, according to ESPN. "So now you think I intended to hit LeBron James in the nuts. I'm playing basketball. I'm a basketball player. So if I intended — and that's whatever is in the flagrant 2 category — if you think I did that, that means you think I'm that type of person."

Saturday's ejection came days after Brooks began publicly taunting James publicly.

Related:LeBron James' 'Lonely' Early Years in Ohio Detailed in New Biography as His Biopic Sets Release Date

Brooks, once a second-team All-American in college in 2017, told reporters he doesn't respect James, the four-time NBA Champion and league MVP, calling him "old."

"I don't care. He's old," Brooks said after he and James shared trash talk on the court during Game 2.

"I poke bears. I don't respect no one 'til they come and give me 40. I pride myself on what I do is defense and taking on any challenge," he added.

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