LeBron James, Lakers’ front office split on next coach?

And the Rivers rumors? Seems the players, and perhaps general manager Rob Pelinka, too, would rather see an experienced, win-now coach on the sidelines. “If LeBron could pick,” the executive said, “it’s pretty certain he’d pick Doc.” The exec was quick to point out that the Lakers had hoed to be united on the coaching front, considering their last foray into a coaching hire, in 2019, was bungled. The team pursued Ty Lue then but would not meet his contract request, and lost out on Monty Williams to Phoenix almost at the same time. Recently fired coach Frank Vogel was the Lakers’ third choice.
Source: Sean Deveney @ Heavy.com

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Austin Krell @NBAKrell
Source close to Klutch Sports indicated to @ThePaintedLines that, despite recent reporting, Doc Rivers is not thought to be LeBron James’ choice for Lakers. – 11:06 AM

Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
Thursday’s @LockedOnLakers podcast! LeBron makes 3rd team All-NBA! Why it’s an incredible achievement at this stage of his career, but also raises interesting issues for the Lakers. #FirstListen @LockedOnNetwork @LockedOnNBAPods
Subscribe to the show!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leb… – 10:55 AM

Brian Mahoney @briancmahoney
Ten years ago in the very same situation, LeBron went into Boston and put up 45 in Game 6.
Not sure the Heat can find a starting five that can combine for 45 on Friday. – 11:05 PM

Wes Goldberg @wcgoldberg
Game 5 tonight is the biggest Heat game since…
– G7, 2013 NBA Finals vs Spurs (After Ray Allen’s shot in G6)
– G7, 2013 ECF vs Pacers
– G6, 2012 ECF, down 3-2 in Boston (“The look.”)
Basically since LeBron left. – 1:00 PM

Lev Akabas @LevAkabas
The closest All-NBA vote this year was between LeBron and DeRozan for the second 2nd team forward spot. A pretty classic “better overall player” vs “had a bigger impact on winning” decision
Voting results for the other positions in this 🧵 pic.twitter.com/dCoiB7zerP – 11:03 AM

Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
LeBron James earned All-NBA honors for the 18th time, three more selections than any other player.
He’s the first player to be named to one of the All-NBA teams in his 19th season or later.
James is the only player to earn at least four All-NBA selections for three franchises. pic.twitter.com/mkmieBfOyQ – 10:21 AM

Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
Three players earned 2021-22 All-NBA honors despite playing less than 70% of their team’s games:
Kevin Durant, 67.1%
LeBron James, 68.3%
Ja Morant, 69.5%
It’s the first time there have been three such players in the same season. The only season with two such players is 2006-07. pic.twitter.com/KwrZ28AWXy – 10:01 AM

Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
Luka Doncic last night:
✅ 30 PTS
✅ 14 REB
✅ 9 AST
Doncic has led the @Dallas Mavericks – either outright or tied – in points, rebounds, and assists nine times in the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
That ties LeBron James (2013) for the most such games in a single postseason in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/JuN1LKmTHy – 9:01 AM

StatMuse @statmuse
Most 30-point playoff games before turning 24:
21 — LeBron James
17 — Kevin Durant
17 — Kobe Bryant
17 — Luka Doncic pic.twitter.com/6sncy8OMyc – 11:44 PM

Kyle Goon @kylegoon
LeBron James makes his 18th career All-NBA team — a tribute to his longevity, but also a reminder of a season that couldn’t make the most of his talents: ocregister.com/2022/05/24/lak… – 11:11 PM

Marla Ridenour @MRidenourABJ
‘We keep putting them in harms way at school.’ LeBron James on Texas school shooting @LeBron James beaconjournal.com/story/news/202… via @beaconjournal – 10:46 PM

StatMuse @statmuse
LeBron James has more All-NBA selections after turning 30 years old (8) than:
James Harden
Jason Kidd
Tracy McGrady
Allen Iverson
Steve Nash
Scottie Pippen
Patrick Ewing
Julius Erving
Dominique Wilkins
Carmelo Anthony
in their careers. pic.twitter.com/dN3exGSmJi – 8:49 PM

Mike Bresnahan @Mike_Bresnahan
LeBron gets the nod for third-team All-NBA. He’s now been on 18 All-NBA teams, extending a record he already holds.
1st team: Giannis, Jokic, Tatum, Doncic + Booker.
2nd team: Embiid, Morant, Durant, Curry + DeRozan.
3rd team: LeBron, Trae Young, Siakam, Chris Paul, Towns. – 8:44 PM

StatMuse @statmuse
Most All-NBA selections:
18 — LeBron
15 — Kobe, Kareem, Duncan pic.twitter.com/CWaG5aESv6 – 8:43 PM

Eric Smith @Eric__Smith
ANTETOKOUNMPO, DONČIĆ, JOKIĆ, BOOKER & TATUM SELECTED TO 2021-22 ALL-NBA 1ST TEAM.
All-NBA 2nd Team: Embiid, Morant, Durant, Steph Curry & DeRozan.
All-NBA 3rd Team: Towns, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Trae Young & Pascal Siakam.
Congrats, @Pascal Siakam. #Raptors #RTZ #NBA – 8:40 PM

Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
New via @SouichiTerada: Jayson Tatum beat out Kevin Durant and LeBron James for the first All-NBA first team selection of his career masslive.com/celtics/2022/0… – 8:37 PM

Chris Forsberg @ChrisForsberg_
A year after a costly all-nba snub, Jayson Tatum is first team (ahead of Kevin Durant and LeBron at the forward spot) pic.twitter.com/T2Osk7lF1H – 8:30 PM

Michael Scotto @MikeAScotto
NBA 2021-22 All-NBA Teams:
First: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker, Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić and Jayson Tatum.
Second: Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid and Ja Morant.
Third: LeBron James, Chris Paul, Pascal Siakam, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Trae Young. pic.twitter.com/pzu22RtRqv – 8:30 PM

Ben Golliver @BenGolliver
2022 All-NBA Teams
First: Luka, Booker, Tatum, Giannis, Jokic
Second: Morant, Curry, DeRozan, Durant, Embiid
Third: Trae, CP3, LeBron, Siakam, Towns – 8:30 PM

Ryan Ward @RyanWardLA
… Followed by the All-NBA Second and Third Team (which includes LeBron James): pic.twitter.com/vyVALRaxJx – 8:29 PM

Chris Haynes @ChrisBHaynes
Third Team All-NBA is Chris Paul, Trae Young, Pascal Siakam, LeBron James and Karl-Anthony Towns. – 8:29 PM

Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
2021-22 All-NBA teams:
First: Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum
Second: Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, DeMar DeRozan
Third: Karl-Anthony Towns, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Trae Young, Pascal Siakam – 8:28 PM

LeBron James @KingJames
There simply has to be change! HAS TO BE!! 😔😔😔😔🥺🥺🥺🥺.. Praying to the heavens above to all with kids these days in schools. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 – 4:47 PM

LeBron James @KingJames
My thoughts and prayers goes out to the families of love ones loss & injured at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX! Like when is enough enough man!!! These are kids and we keep putting them in harms way at school. Like seriously “AT SCHOOL” where it’s suppose to be the safest! – 4:44 PM

Ben Rohrbach @brohrbach
Predictions for tonight’s All-NBA reveal:
1ST TEAM
Luka Doncic
Devin Booker
Jayson Tatum
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Nikola Jokic
2ND TEAM
Stephen Curry
Ja Morant
Kevin Durant
DeMar DeRozan
Joel Embiid
3RD TEAM
Chris Paul
Trae Young
LeBron James
Pascal Siakam
Karl-Anthony Towns – 4:43 PM

Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
For the sickos who like to watch, Tuesday’s @LockedOnLakers pod, YouTube version. We get insights from @AdamArmbrecht of @lockedonnets on Lakers coaching candidate Kenny Atkinson. Does he make sense for LeBron and AD? @LockedOnNetwork @LockedOnNBAPods
youtube.com/watch?v=t6ByB_… – 4:10 PM

Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
Jayson Tatum last night:
✅ 31 PTS
✅ 8 REB
✅ 5 AST
✅ 14-16 FT
It’s the 10th time Tatum has recorded at least 30p/5r/5a in a playoff game.
The only players in NBA history to reach that mark at a younger age are LeBron James and Luka Doncic. pic.twitter.com/R3DxIG5oWr – 9:01 AM

Josh Martin @LonzoWire
In a video with Uninterrupted, Lonzo Ball revealed the best advice ever given to him but former teammate LeBron James. lonzowire.usatoday.com/2021/06/11/lon… – 4:00 AM

Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
📅 On this day in 2021, the @Jaryd Wilson Trae Young made his postseason debut, tallying 32 points and 10 assists in a win over the Knicks.
Young is one of four players in NBA history to record at least 30p/10a in his first playoff game (LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Derrick Rose). pic.twitter.com/dvXsDhcRdj – 1:01 PM

More on this storyline

Most of the front office, it seems, has zeroed in on Darvin Ham, with former head coaches Terry Stotts (Portland) and Kenny Atkinson (Brooklyn) also in the mix. Ham was briefly an assistant with the Lakers, and according to league sources, he is the favorite of the Phil Jackson-Kurt Rambis layer of Lakers decision-makers. “I think those guys want a young coach they can mold a little bit,” one Western Conference executive told Heavy.com. “I do not think Darvin is a pushover by any means. I just think that they want a guy they can point in the direction they want to go, more traditional basketball, using Russell Westbrook a certain way.” -via Heavy.com / May 26, 2022

According to sources, Terry Stotts was asked previously if he would have interest in joining the Lakers as an assistant should he not be hired as a head coach. Stotts, sources said, told the team that he has no interest in a role as a lead assistant. Stotts was approached about joining Frank Vogel in that role last season on the Lakers’ bench and also declined, sources said. -via Los Angeles Times / May 25, 2022

Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: The Lakers interviewed former Blazers coach Terry Stotts for franchise’s head coaching job in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Two more assistants will meet with LA in near future — Golden State’s Kenny Atkinson and Milwaukee’s Darvin Ham. -via Twitter @wojespn / May 25, 2022