"He did a lot of the coaching"- Former Lakers star JaVale McGee says LeBron James was the head coach of the 2020 Lakers team
Dallas Mavericks center JaVale McGee won the 2020 NBA championship while playing alongside LeBron James with the LA Lakers. Los Angeles beat the Miami Heat in six games to win the title.
On TNT’s NBA Twitter Live, McGee had this to say on James’ impact not just on the playing court:
“That’s one thing teams forget that they think coaching wins championships. It’s players! And not only in the playing aspect but in the coaching aspect also. When we were with Bron [James], Bron did a lot of the coaching.
“He did have a lot of opportunities where it’s like coach said, ‘Run this.’ And he’s like, ‘No. We’re running this.’ Golden State at the same time. Championship teams not only have to have a good coach, but they have to have good player-coaches.”
“When we won with @KingJames, he did a lot of the coaching... Championship teams have to have good player-coaches" 👀
-@JaValeMcGee joins @TaylorRooks & @channingfrye on #NBATwitterLive https://t.co/VDhJ2HPIkZ
Frank Vogel was the coach of the Lakers’ 2020 title-winning team. He was dismissed two seasons later when the Russell Westbrook experiment failed and was replaced by current shot-caller Darvin Ham.
Several NBA superstars have their say on what plays the team has to run. Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant and many others have occasionally forced coaches to change their strategy or play.
JaVale McGee also played for back-to-back championship-winning Golden State Warriors teams in 2017 and 2018. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are players who are never hesitant to let Steve Kerr know their respective opinions.
Sometimes a great coach can also change the trajectory of a franchise even if they already have superstar players. The LA Lakers during the Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant era did not win a championship until the legendary Phil Jackson took over.
Jackson may not have won those championships on his own, but he was arguably as instrumental as Shaq and the “Black Mamba” for those titles.
LeBron James has bought into Darvin Ham’s plans this season
After the firing of Frank Vogel, Darvin Ham was hired by the LA Lakers to lead the team. LeBron James was one of the first players to congratulate the first-time head coach and vowed to work hard for him.
Leading into the season, Ham reportedly sold James the idea of letting the offense run through Anthony Davis. The four-time MVP was at the center of everything the Lakers did on that side of the court.
Ham was also instrumental in convincing Russell Westbrook to excel as the first man off the bench. The former MVP embraced the new role when he became the NBA’s leading Sixth Man of the Year contender.
If not for a trade to the Utah Jazz and his new starring role with the LA Clippers, Westbrook might still be the favorite.
LeBron James warming up before Game 1.
Darvin Ham was asked pregame if he and Anthony Davis will have any limitations, his response was along the lines of ‘I enjoy being alive, so no.’
Tip-off is just under an hour away. https://t.co/M1sbvNIVDg
LeBron James and the Lakers have put their trust in Darvin Ham. He just led them to a resounding road victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1 to steal home-court advantage.
Expect “King James," though, to insist on on on some occasions what the team should run.