Report: LeBron James Wasn’t Happy Darvin Ham Tried To Limit His Minutes

According to NBA insider Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James wasn’t happy Darvin Ham tried to limit his minutes at the start of the season.

The Lakers fired Ham after two seasons. 

“James bristled at the idea of restricting his minutes at the start of the season, sources said — an idea that was noticeably scrapped after just a few games,” Shelburne wrote. “Throughout the season, James, Anthony Davis and other key rotation players barely bothered to conceal criticisms of Ham’s schemes, rotations and in-game adjustments.”

In Ham’s two seasons, the Lakers went 90-74. LA got swept by the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference Finals and lost to Denver again in the first round of the 2024 playoffs. 

“We greatly appreciate Darvin’s efforts on behalf of the Lakers and recognize the many accomplishments achieved over the past two seasons including last year’s remarkable run to the Western Conference Finals,” said Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka. “We all want to thank Darvin for his dedication and positivity. While this was a difficult decision to make, it is the best course of action following a full review of the season.

“This organization will remain unwavering in its commitment to deliver championship-caliber basketball to Lakers fans around the world.”

LeBron can become an unrestricted free agent this offseason if he declines his 2024-25 player option with the Lakers. The King averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists this season while shooting 54.0% from the field, 41.0% from beyond the arc and 75.0% from the free-throw line. 

According to Shams Charania, Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic, LeBron is expected to play up to two more NBA seasons. The 20-time All-Star turns 40 in December. 

The Lakers have been linked to JJ Redick, Tyronn Lue, Kenny Atkinson, Mike Budenholzer and Charles Lee. It will be interesting to see who LeBron’s next coach is.