After the Lakers’ early dismissal from the playoffs, Darvin Ham’s firing was inevitable. The franchise announced on Friday that Darvin Ham will not be returning next season. With rumors of disputes with players, including LeBron James, the dismissal was only a matter of when rather than if.
However, the rumors of a rift were not plucked out of thin air, as LeBron was caught on tape multiple times, showing his frustrations with Darvin Ham. One such footage has surfaced on social media where the leaked audio reveals LBJ taking the coaching role onto himself from Ham. “I got it, I got it… Give me the board,” yelled LeBron during a game against the Mavs this season, seemingly taking the charge of instructing his teammates.
Even if LeBron was the supposed puppet master of the Lakers’ play, it can be said that he didn’t really do any better job than the misfortune former head coach. The Nuggets series loss showed a lot of holes for the franchise to fill in the offseason and finding a new HC is the first on the priority list. But does the 39-year-old forward have anything to do with the firing? An ESPN analyst thinks so.
Analyst Blasts LeBron James Over Darvin Ham Firing
The analyst in question is Michael Wilbon, who proceeded to grill LeBron James in a fiery rant over Darvin Ham’s dismissal on ESPN’s “Pardon the interruption”. The 65-year-old started by saying that he knew the former Lakers HC for a long time and that he is a “damn good” coach. Highlighting that Darvin Ham was the one to guide them to a conference final the season before, and then LeBron James and Anthony Davis praised him.
“And now all of a sudden the two of them blame him. Their public comments are inadequate. Let me just say this: If you [LeBron] want to be the GOAT and you want to tell everybody you’re the greatest player of all time, then take accountability like one. Do that,” said Wilbon. He further added, “If you’re the GOAT, you do that. You don’t blame this cryptically or backhandedly on Darvin Ham. I don’t want to hear from anybody in a Laker uniform that the primary problem was Darvin Ham.”
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However, it’s too late to take accountability for the firing and the underwhelming season, as LeBron’s future with the LA franchise is in question. With the 2024 Paris Olympics ahead, LeBron James is only focused on resting and preparing for the event, which means his Lakers future will potentially have a clearer picture after the summer event.
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