Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has never been shy about doing whatever it takes to win, and in his current situation, that may sometimes mean overriding the playcalling of Lakers head coach Darvin Ham.
The future Hall of Famer has evidently shown a willingness to go in a different direction oftentimes when Ham draws up a play.
“He sits in the huddle and gets his rest/water, rolls his eyes as Ham speaks and waits for the huddle to break,” one source close to the situation told Lakers Daily’s Anthony Irwin. “If Ham ever does draw up a play, as soon as the huddle breaks, James will tell everyone else on the court with him ‘f— all that’ and calls a play of his own.”
Ham’s future with the Lakers is in question and could be defined by how the team performs this month. The coach’s job appears to be safe this season, but if the Lakers don’t reach a playoff series, that could change as soon as this summer.
It has been a rocky season at various points for Ham, with plenty of buzz surrounding his status at times.
“All year, reports have surfaced about how various guys in the locker room feel about Ham, and per a few sources, at least a couple players plan to speak to [Rob] Pelinka about Ham’s future as soon as this season ends,” wrote Irwin. “There remains legitimate concern throughout the organization how fit Ham is to continue as head coach.”
James is presumably anxious to maximize his remaining time in the NBA, as the superstar is 39 years old and in his 21st season. There are no guarantees surrounding how much longer he’ll remain active.
Even still, he’s showing no signs of slowing down. James is averaging 25.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game this season while shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from beyond the arc.
His Lakers currently hold a play-in spot in the Western Conference with a 33-28 record. They’re in 10th place.
While the squad has some legitimate ground to make up if it wants to earn an outright playoff bid (three games stand between L.A. and the No. 6 seed right now), the Lakers can take some comfort in the fact that no teams are currently threatening to knock them out of play-in territory.
The Purple and Gold overcame a rocky 2022-23 regular season to reach the 2023 Western Conference Finals, and one has to imagine that a similar run this season would do wonders for Ham’s job security. But that’s easier said than done, and the Lakers likely know that as well as anyone.
