The Los Angeles Lakers are searching for a new head coach after a disappointing first-round playoff exit. They want to chase championships, but the brain trust has been quick to dump their coaches in return years. Frank Vogel was fired just two years after winning a championship. Darvin Ham led them to the conference finals in 2023 and is already gone.
The Lakers will hire their seventh head coach since Phil Jackson retired in 2011. Job security is not high. The franchise has placed the blame on the head coach often when it is not warranted. LA had a mismatched roster this season, which held them back more than Darvin Ham.
Former Lakers player and head coach Byron Scott joined Undisputed to discuss the franchise, and the three-time NBA champion wasted no time in calling out LeBron James. Hear Scott’s shocking pick to be LA’s next head coach and why he is the choice.
Byron Scott thinks LeBron James should be head coach
Scott was quick to share his love and respect for King James but did not hold back by saying he makes many other decisions when it comes to the Lakers franchise so why not take full responsibility for those calls? The 63-year-old stated LeBron should still play and take over as the head coach. He admitted to be joking, but this quote was telling.
"As far as I’m concerned, the only person he’s going to really trust is himself. Since you’re making a lot of these decisions anyways, why not put him in that seat."
Skip Bayless and Scott agreed it won’t happen because LeBron wants someone to blame when things are not going right. The former Laker also made it clear he would have no interest in returning as their head coach.
Lakers allowing LeBron to make crucial decisions has hurt in the past
King James continues to make coaching and personnel decisions. He quickly canned Ham’s minutes limit this season. LeBron also pushed the Lakers to add Russell Westbrook, which broke up their championship roster and turned into a disaster. GM and head coach LeBron rarely works out and will continue to cause the Lakers problems as long as they allow him to make decisions.
Scott was calling that out. He sees the Lakers issues with LeBron running the show. The franchise must select a head coach that can maximize James and Anthony Davis. They want to compete for championships. It will take significant roster upgrades to make that a reality. Los Angeles cannot expect any head coach to immediately turn things around. The West is loaded and it will take some time.
The Los Angeles Lakers do not have much with this core. LeBron James turns 40 in December, so the pressure is on to win now. Do not expect to see King James as head coach, but limiting his decisions may benefit the entire organization. Stay tuned to see how the Lakers navigate this crucial offseason. Expect plenty of changes, but even they are unlikely to be enough.