According to NBA legend Kevin McHale, stars like LeBron James and Kevin Durant always have coaches on their heels. Speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, McHale explained that there’s an extra element that comes with coaching the best of the best and that with LeBron and Durant specifically there’s almost no job security at all.
“I like ’em both as players, Durant and LeBron, but man, I tell you what, if you’re coaching those guys, your life span’s not long, man,” said McHale. “You’re on life support when you get the job. It just seems like it’s just easier for everybody to kinda not say anything and then just blame somebody.”
"You're on life support when you get the job"
🔊 Kevin McHale has strong thoughts about the firings of Darvin Ham in L.A. and Frank Vogel in Phoenix. pic.twitter.com/eZpMSrHxXb
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) May 18, 2024
Coaching the best players in the world is no easy feat, and former Celtics big man Kevin McHale knows that better than most as an NBA head coach for seven years. While he did have a stint leading the Timberwolves, McHale’s most memorable coaching stint was with the Rockets. He helped bring out the most of James Harden, who won an MVP and was among the top five players in the game for several years.
Even so, despite Harden’s individual success (29.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game) the Rockets were never able to win when it mattered the most and they never went past the Western Conference Finals. Now, McHale sees much of the same qualities in LeBron and Durant, whose teams fired their coaches after a disappointing season.
While there was much at play in how the season played out, it was Darvin Ham and Frank Vogel who took the fall and whoever comes in next behind them will be under immense pressure from the very start. Between Steve Nash, Jacque Vaughn, Darvin Ham, Frank Vogel, and Mike Budenholzer, the two stars have gone through five coaches combined in just a few years and the truth is that no coach is truly safe when they are on the roster.
The Lakers Are Still Deciding On Their Next Head Coach
For Mat Ishbia and the Suns, the coaching “search” was over pretty quickly, as the Suns have already introduced Mike Budenholzer as the new man in charge. For the Lakers, the process hasn’t been nearly as quick. After firing Ham only two years into his contract, the Lakers are still looking around for his replacement and it remains to be seen which candidate they will settle on.
So far, a number of names have emerged, including Sam Cassell and James Borrego, who are both widely respected in the industry. Surprisingly, however, JJ Redick is currently leading the race. While he lacks coaching experience, he has put his full knowledge on display on the “Mind Games” podcast, and he’s formed a tight relationship with LeBron James himself.
For that reason, Redick might be different than the other Lakers coaching hires. He might have the connections to outlive the struggles of the team and maintain some level of longevity as the head coach there. Whoever comes in will be under pressure from day one and it will make the job of leading that much harder.
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