Report: LeBron James and Darvin Ham planning special event to bring Lakers closer together

By Zach Stevens
Updated: February 24, 2023

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

After two years of frustration and disappointment, there appears to be some real hope for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers thanks to the four new rotation players they acquired two weeks ago.

With the team about to embark on a three-game road trip, James and head coach Darvin Ham are reportedly planning an activity that will help it bond together as one unit.

“LeBron James and head coach Darvin Ham have been in discussions on a team-bonding activity, and they’re in the process of planning an outing on the team’s upcoming road trip, Ham told Bleacher Report,” wrote Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

“The details of what the team will do is still to be determined, but the tentative date is Monday in Memphis.”

The Lakers have played five games since acquiring D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley and Mo Bamba, and they have won three of those contests.

On Thursday night, they blasted away the Golden State Warriors, 124-111, even though Russell missed most of the contest with a tweaked ankle. Beasley carried a big part of the offense by exploding for 25 points while hitting 7-of-11 from 3-point range.

Los Angeles may not be a legitimate championship contender, but its roster looks much better in multiple ways than it did earlier this season, especially when one also considers the late January trade for forward Rui Hachimura, who has played well in spurts.

It has apparently addressed its lack of 3-point shooting, as well as its lack of productive frontcourt players other than James and Anthony Davis.

The fact that the Lakers’ two superstars combined for 25 points, yet they still blew out a team they were supposed to blow out is a very positive sign, not to mention the type of thing the good and great teams in the NBA routinely do.

They will begin a challenging road trip this weekend that will begin with a Sunday matinee against Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and the upgraded Dallas Mavericks. They will then face the Memphis Grizzlies, who have the second-best record in the Western Conference, on Tuesday before ending the trip with a contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder the following night.