Now that it has been two weeks since the Los Angeles Lakers fired Darvin Ham after he was their head coach for two seasons, some are starting to feel it may have been a hasty decision. Some even feel it may have been a calculated move in order to deflect responsibility for a disappointing season.
But the reality is that Ham was lacking as a tactician in multiple ways. In addition, key players such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis lost trust and respect in him and even ignored him at times.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, one of the many reasons Los Angeles got rid of Ham was because Davis was unhappy with him.
“When they chose to fire Darvin Ham, I was told that one of the many, many considerations was that it was pretty evident that AD was not on board anymore with Darvin and they know, like everybody else, that AD has a history of having asked for trades in the past. That’s how he got to the Lakers from New Orleans. Last thing they wanted was for AD to be frustrated with the situation and maybe have those types of thoughts cross his mind.”
In fact, according to another report, the team may prioritize how Davis feels over James’ preferences when it comes to who it hires to be its next head coach.
Via The Athletic:
“The franchise’s next coach will be tasked with guiding both the end of the LeBron James–Anthony Davis era — potentially a two-year window — and then the next era of Lakers basketball led by Davis. Los Angeles is looking for a coach who can grow with the franchise for years to come, according to team and league sources, placing a premium on maximizing Davis’ greatness, the current returning players and the element of high-level player development.
“As one source briefed on the situation said, ‘This should be more of a hire about AD than LeBron.'”
Still, former 3-point specialist JJ Redick may be the current favorite to land the job. He is James’ co-host on the “Mind the Game” podcast, as well as a commentator for ESPN’s coverage of NBA games.
