The Los Angeles Lakers has begun with the ‘unpleasant’ work. After they fired head coach Darvin Ham for a disappointing first-round playoff exit, multiple analysts alleged that LeBron James wanted him out to establish a head coach of his liking. ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins argued such actions prove that superstars like LeBron James are “divas”. As per him, these max-contract players are responsible for many head coaches losing their jobs. Paul Pierce also joined Perkins in criticizing LBJ for the Lakers’ decision to fire Ham.
Advertisement
The Truth took a shot at the All-Time Leading Scorer and quipped that he should hire Maverick Carter as the coach considering their business partnerships and friendly relationship.
On ‘UNDISPUTED’, the 2008 champion termed being the head coach of a LeBron James-led team as the “least stable job”. Since the Lakers have fired four different coaches during the James tenure, he alleged that a HC in these scenarios is merely a “puppet”,
“Who is gonna be the puppet this time? It is pretty much a puppet job. When LeBron is not happy, you are out of there. If you’re not doing what he is saying, you are outta there. If you’re not going to be on the beat of his drums, you are gone. LeBron was 100% responsible for this firing.”
"The best person for this job is probably Maverick Carter." 😂@PaulPierce34 on the Lakers HC vacancy pic.twitter.com/Xc12lAY9b0
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) May 6, 2024
Pierce took shots at the rumors of the Lakers considering JJ Redick for the position. Since Redick is close to LBJ, for Pierce, such rumors stem out of James’ inner circle. Thus, he joked about the Lakers hiring his long-term business associate Maverick Carter for the HC job,
“He was a 100% involved in this. The best person for this job is probably Maverick Carter, I mean, you might as well have him.”
The former Celtics star doesn’t seem happy about the Lakers superstar allegedly running the Lakers organization. Apart from Pierce and Perkins, Stephen A. Smith also ripped in James after they fired Darvin Ham.
Stephen A. Smith questions LeBron James over the coaching changes
Michael Jordan played under four different head coaches during his 13 years with the Chicago Bulls. During his 21-year career, LeBron James has played for nine different ones. If he returns for the 2024-25 season, it will be the 10th time that a new coach takes the reins of a James-led team.
Alluding to these frequent changes, Smith questioned James’ ability as a leader to speak up for his HC. He believes since LeBron James-led teams tend to undergo “fragmentation and friction”, his GOAT case as a leader takes a huge hit. He also added that this is why he has won four rings compared to Michael Jordan’s six,
“Acrimony, the friction, the divide, the fragmentation, all of those things play a role in contributing to one’s greatness or lack thereof. Maybe that’s the reason LeBron has four rings instead of six.”
.@stephenasmith believes having 10 different head coaches takes away from LeBron James' case for the NBA GOAT.
"Maybe that's the reason LeBron has four rings instead of six." 👀 pic.twitter.com/HAOmLHAukd
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 6, 2024
Thus, LeBron James is under the fire of many critics in the aftermath of the Darvin Ham firing. While the extent of his involvement is unclear, the Lakers would surely love to keep their franchise centerpiece happy. Being a veteran in the league, it would not be surprising if he is invilved in the decision making. Thus far, they haven’t bore any fruits but LBJ is hopeful about it.
