NBA exec says Darvin Ham will have to ‘work around LeBron’ in order to be direct with Lakers players

One anonymous NBA executive believes that new Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham’s dealing with the team will involve working around LeBron James.

Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com shared various comments about Ham from others around the league, including a quote from the unnamed executive.

“You have to work around LeBron obviously, but I think he’s going to be pretty direct with those guys,” the executive said. “And I don’t know whether Rasheed Wallace is a good or bad hire (as an assistant coach), but he’s pretty much a straight shooter, too. Darvin has a good feel for that, so I’ve got to trust him with that hire. I have to believe that’s going to work.”

Ham was one of three finalists for L.A.’s coaching job. He had never been a head coach in the NBA before being hired by the Lakers, but he is a former player who moved into the coaching ranks as an assistant.

Ham was part of the Milwaukee Bucks’ championship run in 2021, the franchise’s first NBA title in 50 years.

When it comes to his role with the Lakers, dealing with team members and the front office are key parts of the challenging job that he’s taking on.

The fact that he played in the NBA will likely earn him some respect from Lakers players. Still, there will inevitably be times when Ham or other coaches have to confront players in order to help the team.

Right now, Ham is still in the honeymoon period after his hiring by the Lakers, as he has yet to win or lose a game as their head coach. How well he does in the win column will help determine whether criticism starts coming his way.