"Make LeBron the coach": 3-time NBA champ makes vehement case for LeBron James to pull off a Bill Russell
After a conference finals run last year, LeBron James and the LA Lakers were bounced in the first round of the postseason. Now going through a search for a new head coach, one former player tossed out a shocking suggestion.
During an appearance on FS1's "Undisputed," former Lakers guard and coach Bryon Scott touched on Darvin Ham's firing. When it came to his replacement, he suggest that LeBron be the next head coach in LA.
"Make LeBron the coach," Scott said. "It's obvious to me that he's making a lot of decisions that's going on in this organization. If you're going to allow him to make those decisions, sit on the bench and make those decisions as well."
Skip Bayless agreed with this idea, and added that LeBron James should be a player-coach. This is something that has not been seen since the 1960s when Bill Russell did it with the Boston Celtics. Russell was a player-coach for three seasons, and led Boston to a championship in 1969.
While Bayless tossed out this idea, it is not something that is realistic for LeBron and the Lakers. Back in 1985, the league did away with teams employing someone as a player and coach at the same time.
LeBron James has acted like a coach in the past
As Byron Scott mentioned, LeBron James has had a lot of influence within the LA Lakers since he signed as a free agent back in 2019. At times, he has even acted like a coach.
One of the main things that has made LeBron an all-time great is his intelligence of the game. Since the firing of Darvin Ham, multiple clips of the star forward commanding a huddle have popped up on social media.
Among the instances that have made rounds online is an instance against the Dallas Mavericks last season. During the game, LeBron James is heard taking over the Lakers' huddle and calling for the clipboard to draw up a play.
While LeBron could transition into coaching if he wanted to, it seems unlikely at this stage of his career. At the age of 39, he is still performing at a high level. In 71 games for the Lakers this season, LeBron averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists.
LeBron might not be the next coach of the Lakers, but someone close to him is in the mix. All the reporting on the vacancy has listed JJ Redick as a possible candidate to replace Darvin Ham. The longtime NBA shparshooter has been spending a lot of time with LeBron recently. About a month ago, the two teamed up to host the "Mind the Game" podcast.