Early January saw the Lakers’ head coach, Darvin Ham, addressing and squashing all rumors regarding his “resignation”. Ham said to the media that he had the franchise owner, Jeanie Buss, and GM Rob Pelinka in his corner. But it seems like they are the only ones. The relationship between the 50-year-old coach and his team has been on rocky grounds since LA took a nosedive to barely keeping it together from featuring in the bottom five in the West.

From the “deepening disconnect in the locker room” to agents calling the Lakers front office to complain about Darvin Ham, LA has had its hands full. And now, recent statements from Lakers Daily‘s Anthony Irwin provide a worrying future for Ham. He talks about how LeBron James doesn’t necessarily feel the need to follow the play drawn up by their coach.

“He sits in the huddle and gets his rest/water, rolls his eyes as Ham speaks, and waits for the huddle to break. If Ham ever does draw up a play, as soon as the huddle breaks, James will tell everyone else on the court with him ‘f— all that’ and calls a play of his own,” Irwin reported.

Now, LeBron did not reach the heights that any NBA player can reach without trusting his instincts. There have been many occasions when contrary to popular opinion, James has decided to go with his choice. But it seems like that is not the case here.

The Lakers now sit 10th in the Western Conference with a 33-28 record. And as mentioned above, Ham’s job looks safe for now. In a season where the Lakers should have maintained a contending position, they are hanging on for dear life to make it to the playoffs. And if they fail to do so, not even Buss and Pelinka might be in Ham’s corner.

Add to it the fact that throughout the year, there have been “legitimate concerns” as to just how fit Ham is to take the franchise forward.

Darvin Ham’s job might not be so secure after all

As mentioned above, Ham and the Lakers locker room don’t see eye-to-eye. The main reason was the rotation and lineup adjustments, leaving many players flustered and unable to find a rhythm. NBA Insider Jake Fischer also reported how many agents were calling in with complaints about their clients not getting the right opportunities.

Read More: Jeanie Buss Constant Support to “Thankful” Darvin Ham Gives Lakers Coach a Positive Hope: “Encouraging Me, Asking Me…”

LeBron, for his part, even in his 21st season and at 39 years, doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. That is not to say Father Time hasn’t made his presence felt. So, it’s natural that the Lakers superstar would want to maximize his time left to make a huge impact.

He feels that Ham is not providing much help about that. There is only so much longer that the franchise can hold its ground against growing noise and discontent, from the inside and outside. What do you think the future holds for Darvin Ham? Does failure to win a championship this season spell the end of Ham’s time with the Purple and Gold? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!