LeBron James went viral on Sunday night for appearing to disrespect his head coach Darvin Ham. In the fourth quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 134-110 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, James intentionally fouled Scoot Henderson and then called a timeout to sub himself out. With the clip spreading like wildfire, James clarified that he was only following instructions.
“No I didn’t. DHam told me to foul then call a TO. He was subbing me out. Stop with the BS!”
I think this is the first on-record thing we have of LeBron defending Darvin? pic.twitter.com/OuZz7ocHfL
— Tristan (@TBeckmann24) January 22, 2024
It was good on LeBron’s part to come out and defend Ham here. The clip without that context did give the impression that he was no longer calling the shots and had lost authority in the locker room. The 39-year-old normally doesn’t comment on such things, but in this instance, he clearly felt it had to be done.
LeBron’s comment also led to the post being deleted. You can check out the clip below of him calling the timeout and subbing himself out when the Lakers were up 120-97.
LeBron took a foul to take himself out and then called a timeout because Darvin Ham wouldn't do it himself, can't make it up lol pic.twitter.com/kx3lbKrb9U
— LakeShow Highlights (@LSH_lakeshow) January 22, 2024
The fact that James clarified here might also suggest that talk of any kind of rift between them might be overblown. With the Lakers having a 22-22 record this season, Ham has come under fire, with calls for him to lose his job seemingly growing louder by the passing day.
Darvin Ham’s Firing Is Unlikely
While it has been called into question just how much support Ham has from the Lakers players, there is one individual who has backed him all the way. It was reported that Ham is unlikely to be fired by the Lakers because their governor, Jeanie Buss, supports him.
“It’s the informed opinion of this particular NBA scribe that he would not have been fired even if they had lost (vs. Clippers) Sunday. And that was before discussing the situation with Ham long after the game was over. But as he shared in a conversation with The Athletic, there’s a significant factor in play here that should not be forgotten: While Ham has issues to resolve both in his locker room and elsewhere within Laker Land, he has the continued support of owner Jeanie Buss.”
At the end of the day, Buss’ support is what matters most. As long as she doesn’t believe change is needed, Ham will remain the head coach, no matter what the fans or even the players think. Unless the Lakers just completely fall apart at some point, I believe she will keep backing him.
LeBron James Will Miss The Game Against The Clippers
Ham and the Lakers’ hopes of securing a second straight win suffered a blow with James being ruled out of the contest against the Los Angeles Clippers.
“Lakers say LeBron James (ankle) is out vs. Clippers on Tuesday.”
Lakers say LeBron James (ankle) is out vs. Clippers on Tuesday.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 23, 2024
LeBron, who is averaging 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game this season, had been on the injury report for weeks due to an ankle problem but had played through the pain. The timing for this absence couldn’t have been much worse, as it’s hard to see how the Lakers can win without the 19-time All-Star against the Clippers.
LeBron has averaged 30.0 points per game against the Clippers this season and is the biggest reason why the Lakers lead the season series 2-0 against them. With him out, the likes of Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, and Austin Reaves will have to step up on offense, but it still might not be enough against a red-hot Clippers outfit.
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