LeBron James & Coach JJ Redick Accused of Plotting Darvin Ham’s Firing on ‘Mind the Game’ Podcast

The Los Angeles Lakers are trying to fill their empty head coach position after letting go of Darvin Ham. Former NBA star and sports analyst JJ Redick has been the front-runner in their hiring process. During a recent Fox Sports Radio episode, host Dan Beyer accused JJ and Lakers star LeBron James of orchestrating a scheme to oust Ham from his position.

Beyer’s controversial remarks were based on a discussion on James and Redick’s podcast, “Mind the Game,” last month. According to Dan Byer, “The point where Darvin Ham lost his job and JJ Redick earned his, occurred on the podcast.” The host proceeded to play an audio clip of this moment from episode 6 of the pod. In the clip, Redick asked James, “Has any coach, front office person, analytics person on staff, have they ever come to you and talked to you about analytics and shot profile?” James replied rather bluntly, “F*ck no.”

Beyer perceived this conversation as a premeditated attempt by Redick to discredit Ham and establish his incompetence as head coach. He said, “That is JJ Redick driving the bus completely over Darvin Ham and driving it into the Lakers front office, into Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss’ office and saying, ‘Make me the head coach.’ It’s such a setup.”

There is a common growing sentiment among fans and analysts that feels that LeBron James has a large hand in the Lakers’ strategic decisions; including their hiring process. Many feel that the reason Redick has a shot at the position is because of his relationship with LeBron. Beyer continued, “JJ Redick may be qualified but the only qualification that is needed for the Lakers job is if LeBron James likes you.” 

How true are these allegations? LeBron himself has maintained that he has always kept his distance from the hiring process in the past and that he will continue to do so. Is it possible that the player’s special dynamic with JJ Redick might influence the Lakers front-office’s decision? It is hard to say. Regardless, Redick is not the only candidate the team is looking at.

The Lakers head coach position continues to stay vacant

Besides Redick, the Lakers were rumored to have been pursuing ex-Milwaukee Bucks coach, Mike Budenholzer. Their ambitions were thrown out the window by the Phoenix Suns who recently signed Mike on a 5-year contract. The Lakers are currently meeting with candidates but are reportedly “nowhere near close” to finalizing a successor.

New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach James Borrego met with the team twice and is a “very serious” candidate according to reporter Adrian Wojnarowski. Wojnarowski said, “They’re gonna bring in more. Over the next few weeks, you’re going to see more candidates come back in as they dig a little deeper with the Lakers on this head coaching job.” LA Clippers’ Ty Lue was another favorite for the Lakers but he recently signed an extension with the Clippers.

According to ESPN, the team is also speaking with the following assistant coaches; Miami Heat’s Chris Quinn, Boston Celtics’ Sam Cassell, Denver Nuggets’ David Adelman, and Minnesota Timberwolves’ Micah Nori. Although Redick seems to be a popular prediction, the front office has been reported to be going through a rigorous hiring process. Besides, if LeBron James were to explore his options after hitting free agency this summer, Dan Beyer feels that Redick would no longer be interested in the job.

All in all, the possibilities are exciting. The LA Lakers are expected to fill in the vacancy before the June 26-27 NBA Draft. No official announcement has been made by the team as of yet. Watch this space to stay updated on the Lakers’ moves this off-season.