The Los Angeles Lakers are on the lookout for a new head coach and one of their top priorities is to keep LeBron James happy. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium highlighted the missed opportunities the Lakers had in building a structure around James with people he’s familiar with, like Ty Lue and Kyrie Irving.
Ideally, James would have Lue as his head coach and Irving as his point guard, eliminating the need for a coaching search. Both Lue and Irving have had successful partnerships with James in the past, leading to a championship win with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. Despite attempts to bring Lue on board in 2019, the Lakers opted against it. They also tried to add Irving to their roster in recent years, but he chose to remain with the Dallas Mavericks.
As one of the NBA’s most iconic players, James holds significant sway within the Lakers organization. However, he has decided to let the front office take the lead in the head coaching search to avoid any potential blame for the outcome. Given James’ stature and the team’s desire to contend for another championship before his eventual retirement, it is crucial for the Lakers to make a thoughtful coaching decision that will keep their star player content.