SUMMARY
- A few weeks ago, LeBron James led the Lakers through a 21-point deficit against the Clippers for a win.
- James claimed he had to go against Darvin Ham's orders since he knew Tyronn Lue better.
LeBron James often gets referred to as a coach and general manager of various teams he’s been on. Having been in the league for so long, it is safe to say that James understands exactly how some coaches or players work out the game. He is also considered one of the best players in terms of IQ. It is evident when he isn’t on the floor that the LA Lakers tend to struggle a lot.
This season hasn’t been the best for the Lakers. Injuries have played a major role in their underwhelming run this year. The Lakers have had moments when they’ve shown the potential of being a top-tier contender as well. But most times, Darvin Ham has struggled to piece up a proper routine for them to follow. So much so that fans have also been urging the Lakers’ management to fire him.
LeBron James knew Darvin Ham’s strategy wouldn’t work against the Clippers
LeBron James recently sat down with JJ Reddick on the Mind the Game Podcast and discussed the Lakers’ comeback victory against the LA Clippers a few weeks ago. It turns out, that James had to go against Ham’s orders to help the Lakers overcome the Clippers. He said, “In the Clippers game, we had switching built-in versus Kawhi and James, and whatever the case may be. And I vetoed it in the second half.”
LeBron says he vetoed Darvin Ham’s coaching in the comeback win against the Clippers 👀 pic.twitter.com/AxttZ2ecP5
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) March 27, 2024
“Because I know T-Lue better than any other players that ever been with T-Lue. And I know he plays target ball too. And it got to a point where I knew in order for us to get back into the game, switching anybody else onto Kawhi is not favorable for us. Might as well get ready for the Wizards. So I vetoed it,” he concluded. Impressively, the Lakers were able to hold off Kawhi Leonard during the second half of the game.
LeBron James scored 19 points in the final quarter for a comeback win
The Lakers were down by 21 points before LeBron James took action. By the start of the fourth quarter, James was heated up. He scored 19 points to help the Lakers get back the lead. The Lakers ended up winning 116-112 and James finished with an impressive 34-point game.
It was a good decision that James had made for the team. Considering that he spent a good amount of time with Tyronn Lue on the Cleveland Cavaliers and even won a championship together, LeBron probably knows exactly how the coach would counter plays. Ham probably learned a thing or two about his player and a rival coach that could be used in the future.
