Lakers rumors: players stopped listening to Darvin Ham in February / News - Basketnews.com

Los Angeles Lakers players took control of their team amid growing dissatisfaction with head coach Darvin Ham.

Credit: AP - Scanpix Credit AP - Scanpix

Los Angeles Lakers players had apparently checked out on head coach Darvin Ham as far back as February, feeling they were better off coaching themselves.

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According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Jovan Buha, and Sam Amick, during a regular-season game against their rivals, the LA Clippers, on February 28th, the players began questioning the strategy of having LeBron James attack Kawhi Leonard, especially when the Clippers were willingly switching big man Daniel Theis onto him.

In the huddle, players voiced their concerns. They realized they could leverage mismatches more effectively on their own, leading to a comeback win. The Athletic suggests that this victory was seen by some players as a sign of unity amidst their disconnect with coach Ham.

They felt they had taken matters into their own hands due to what they perceived as a lack of effective guidance from the coaching staff. The Athletic notes that the Lakers players had, in their minds, won the game on their own.

"Their self-empowerment, it seemed, was born out of the perceived absence of effective direction from the coaching staff," The Athletic writes.

Now, with their NBA playoff exit at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers are facing uncertainty about Darvin Ham's future. Management is expected to review the season before making any decisions.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports that this loss has put coach Ham's job in serious jeopardy.

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