On May 3, Beijing time, there were 3 messages from the Los Angeles Lakers, let's take a look.
Lao Zhan's retirement time was exposed
Today, Rich Paul, CEO of Klutch Sports, a well-known American agency, talked about the retirement of his client, Lakers star LeBron James, on a show called "All The Smoke". "From a physical and athletic point of view, James has no problem playing in the league for five more years, but recently James has been telling me that at this stage of his career, family is his priority, and he wants to spend more time with his family, which means that James is likely to choose to leave after the end of his next contract (2-3 years)," Paul said. "It's worth mentioning that Rich Paul is not only James's agent, but also a very close business partner and good friend, and what he says is very credible.
Although the Lakers' playoff campaign has ended (eliminated by the Nuggets 1:4), it can't hide James's brilliant performance. In the playoffs this season, James played in 5 games, averaging 27.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 2.4 steals and 1 block in 40.8 minutes per game, and the three-point shooting rate was 56.6%, 38.5% and 73.9%, ranking among the best in many statistics. With James' current form and 20 years of self-discipline, he can still play in the NBA for many years as long as he wants. However, as Rich Paul said, as he gets older, basketball is far less important to James than his family, and he is ready to start a new chapter in his life. Either way, James' ball is one less game, and watch and cherish it.
Hamm parted ways
Not long ago, when the Lakers were swept by the Nuggets, a number of media reporters reported that the Lakers are likely to fire team coach Darvin Ham. Today, Lakers reporter Buha talked about the matter in a podcast interview, Buha said: "After many meetings and discussions, the Lakers have decided to part ways with Ham, and it is expected that the official announcement will be made as soon as this weekend, and then the search for a new head coach will begin." Ham signed a four-year contract with the Lakers in '22 and led the Lakers to the Western Conference finals last season, but was swept by the Nuggets, and this season, Ham led the Lakers to the inaugural midseason championship, but struggled to play in the regular season, relying on the play-offs to make the playoffs, and was eliminated by the Nuggets again in the first round.
Admittedly, Ham does have his own unique points when it comes to interpersonal communication and "chicken soup" players, but that doesn't hide his coaching problems in the slightest. Firstly, Hamm's tactics are too lacking and inflexible, and they are easy to crack and target, secondly, they are too stubborn and penchant for the sword, and the suicidal lineup such as the back four is often present in the game, and finally, the reaction speed is too slow on the spot, and the opponent is slow to call a timeout when the opponent hits the offensive climax, so that the team loses the opportunity to rhythm and adjustment. For Hamm, if he wants to get back on the whip in the future, he must reflect on his shortcomings and make improvements.
Mingsu criticized the management
Today, NBA celebrity and current TNT basketball commentator Charles Barkley criticized the Lakers' decision to fire Ham on the show, Barkley said: "The Lakers' failure to play as expected this season has little to do with Ham, but because the roster is too poor. Ham isn't a bad coach, he's done his job brilliantly, and those who put together a garbage roster should be fired. Obviously, Barkley's implication is that Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Pelinka are the culprits behind the Lakers' early exit this season.
Barkley's remarks quickly sparked heated discussions among fans, with some saying: "Indeed, Jeanie Buss and Pelinka's ability to operate is too poor, the lineup is not as good as a year, and the trade deadline is not bold and does not want to improve, Ham is a man of the backstab." Someone else said: "Forget it, Pelinka's operation last offseason was already the best under limited conditions, and the mid-season trade is more variable, and the management has done enough." The Lakers are out of the game because Ham is not good at coaching. So what do you think about this?