Lakers News: Netflix Doc Shows LeBron James Trashing 'Garbage' Darvin Ham Coaching Move

Ricardo Sandoval | Oct 16, 2024

Oct 24, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) drives to the net against Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) and guard Christian Braun (0) in the second quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has been busy since arriving in Los Angeles seven years ago. Not only has he starred in films, but he has plenty of movies and TV shows in the works.

James has done it all on the basketball court, and that's also the case in the TV/movie world. Still, he is at the top of his game and keeps his body in tip-top shape to continue his illustrious career and lead his team to wins. 

Netflix released a new docuseries titled 'Starting 5'. The series revolves around five current NBA players, including James. In the first episode, James is captured visibly frustrated with former Lakers head coach Darvin Ham. 

The footage shows James speaking with assistant coaches. He was not happy about the minute restrictions he was put on to open the 2023-24 season against the Denver Nuggets. 

“I know y'all got me on f—–g old man time percentages and s–t…two shots in eight minutes is just getting cardio. I hate this s–t already. This s–t's garbage,” James said in the series. “You guys know I'm in better shape than everybody.”

James played 29 minutes on opening night against the Nuggets, and L.A. lost that game 119-107. 

The Lakers coaching staff lifted the minute restriction, and James ended up averaging 35.3 minutes per game, placing him tied for 17th in the league in terms of time on the court.

While the minute restriction was lifted, that was the start of the issues surrounding the team regarding Ham. His misuse of the team and the lineups was unacceptable, and even though L.A. had a better record in year two compared to year one for Ham, his lack of accountability and inability to make adjustments were the downfall of his tenure. 

James is not shy about telling others how he really feels about someone, whether that is directly or indirectly. However, others besides James were dissatisfied with Ham. One assistant coach told Lakers insider Anthony Irwin about a lack of cohesion under Ham. 

“Huddles last year were honestly pretty incredible,” the assistant said. “You had guys not even bothering to pretend they were listening. I don't think I ever saw a coach lose a team as quickly as [Darvin] Ham did. This year, you can sense a real belief in what they're trying to build. That's the first step. It's early, but you have to start there.”

So far, head coach JJ Redick appears to be the opposite of Ham, which is a good sign for the team moving forward.

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