Fans in splits as Darvin Ham "just wants to ride" LeBron James as "he allows you to do that": "He just like me", "Ham on a bone"
Even in his 20th season, LeBron James is still a high-impact player for the LA Lakers. Over his last 10 games, the four-time MVP is averaging 34.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game.
Earlier this week, Lakers coach Darvin Ham was asked about playing the 38-year-old extended minutes on a nightly basis. He applauded James for taking good care of his body, but said it in a way that caused a frenzy among fans.
“I just want to ride him," Ham said. "And he allows you to do that because he takes such great care of himself. So, it's a great luxury to have.”
Darvin Ham on LeBron James playing 40 minutes:
“I just want to ride him. And he allows you to do that because he takes such great care of himself. So, it's a great luxury to have.”
(via @mcten, espn.in/nba/story/_/id…) https://t.co/WcBDdcHAch
Comments instantly began pouring in poking fun at Ham's quote about LeBron James.
@LegionHoops @mcten He just like me 🤷♂️🤞
@LegionHoops @BallsackSports @mcten Call that Ham on a bone
Nah Darwin Ham needs to rephrase that whole interview
Some fans even began digging up old interviews to see if they could find more instances. One came about from when Ham was talking about Dallas Mavericks All-Star Luka Doncic.
@LegionHoops @mcten He gotta be doing this on purpose 😭 https://t.co/9JeJcADTLx
Another called out the first-year head coach because earlier in the year he spoke about not asking much from LeBron on a nightly basis.
@LegionHoops @mcten Didn’t he specifically say in his first press conference that he wouldn’t do this???
LeBron James and the LA Lakers need to be careful about his workload
Darvin Ham might consider playing LeBron James big minutes as a luxury, but he is playing a dangerous game. Even with James' recent stretch of dominant performances, the LA Lakers need to be careful not to overdo things.
To an extent, Ham doesn't have much of a choice. With Anthony Davis still sidelined with a foot injury, the Lakers need more from their star. Russell Westbrook has thrived since moving to the bench, but can only take so much off LeBron's shoulders.
At this point in his career, LeBron should still not be playing big minutes. If he wants to elongate these final years, some form of pace needs to be established. Especially in a season like this one.
Given their current outlook, the Lakers (16-21) are trending towards missing the postseason for a second straight year. With little shot at contending on the table, it'd be foolish for LA to run LeBron into the ground.
What LeBron James is doing right now is incredible and should be applauded. However, pushing his star player too far to the point of possibly going wrong is not how Ham wants to start his coaching career.
The NBA season is a marathon and needs to be treated as such. If LeBron wants any shot at hanging around until his sons turn pro, he will need to properly manage his workload.