The Los Angeles Lakers appear to be headed for a competitive playoff run after locking up the Western Conference’s third seed yesterday. Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and Shannon Sharpe discussed the Purple and Gold’s playoff potential on Nightcap, where Ocho shared his biggest concern about LA’s championship hopes.
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Johnson shared that the Lakers’ most pressing issue right now is their lack of a starting-caliber big. The franchise accepted an offer for Luka Doncic that they couldn’t refuse, but LA has struggled to fill Anthony Davis’ game-changing shoes since his departure.
Sharpe doesn’t believe Rudy Gobert will be causing problems for the Lakers with his offense, but Ocho was still concerned about LA’s notable lack of frontcourt depth. “That might be a problem,” Johnson said after Sharpe mentioned Gobert could still dominate the glass. “Who do we have that can do that?”
Sharpe pointed to Jaxson Hayes as the Lakers’ best hope at the center position. The 24-year-old has been holding down the starting spot since Davis was moved, and while he hasn’t set the league on fire with his play, he’s a serviceable lob threat and rim protector alongside LA’s three elite playmakers.
Once the Hall of Fame tight end mentioned Hayes’ name, Ocho couldn’t help but crack a smile. “That’s my dude. You know that’s Coach Hayes’ son, huh?” he asked his cohost. Sharpe didn’t remember who he was referring to, but Ocho quickly helped jog his memory. “My tight end coach with the Bengals!”
Sharpe then remembered exactly who Jonathan Hayes is.“If I’m not mistaken, I think he was at Kansas City when I was in the league,” Sharpe replied. “I didn’t know that.” Ocho then revealed he’s known Jaxson since he was a child, thanks to his connection with Jonathan.
“I got the picture with Lil’ Hayes right. He was yay high, I’m talking about short,” Johnson recalled. He even revealed how he learned Jaxson was an NBA player after the center came up to him before his old team, the New Orleans Pelicans, took on the Lakers.
Jonathan Hayes has a decorated playing and coaching career
Jonathan Hayes spent decades around football and the NFL. The 62-year-old spent 12 seasons as a tight end, nine with the Kansas City Chiefs and three with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He collected 1,718 receiving yards on 153 catches over 184 career contests.
Hayes wasn’t a star in the pros, but he brought consistent production during a time when TEs weren’t used as pass-catchers nearly as often. A couple years after his NFL career ended in 1996, Hayes joined the Oklahoma Sooners as their tight ends and special teams coach from 1999 to 2002.
Jonathan’s most memorable coaching role came as the tight ends coach for Ocho’s Cincinnati Bengals. Hayes spent 15 years with the franchise from 2003 to 2018 and was able to witness Johnson’s prime years from the sidelines. Hayes then spent time as a coach in the XFL before sliding into his current role as the athletic director for Moeller High School, a private, all-male prep school in Cincy.
