The Lakers set a condition to be LeBron James' next coach

If he decides to come back, LeBron James will play for his fourth different head coach in seven years with the Los Angeles Lakers. Needless to say, that’s not a recipe for success in today’s NBA.

Darvin Ham was the fall guy after a first-round elimination at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. And while there were more than enough reasons to doubt him as the right guy for the job, it seems like he never stood a chance.

LeBron didn’t seem to respect him, and you can’t lead a team if you don’t have your best player’s ear. With that in mind, it seems like the Lakers are now looking for a strong-character coach who can command and hold the respect of the locker room.

The Lakers Want A Coach With A Strong Character

“The Lakers’ head coaching vacancy immediately becomes the top open position on the coaching market,” reported The Athletic. “There is a natural inclination to target a replacement who possesses the qualities the previous head coach lacked. For the Lakers, that means finding someone who can command and hold the respect of the locker room, optimize lineups and the rotation, hold himself accountable publicly, and manage timeouts and challenges properly.”

Lakers GM Rob Pelinka

Their Decision Will Be Key For LeBron’s Future

James has a big decision to make in the offseason. He could retire, opt out of the final year of his contract to become a free agent, or sign an extension. Needless to say, whoever they hire will play a big part in that decision:

“The search will set off what promises to be a monumental offseason for the franchise, with LeBron James’ future remaining the most significant unknown variable,“ the report added.

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LeBron James says he"s a victim of the Lakers" situation

As currently constructed, the Lakers may not have what it takes to win another championship. Still, they will continue to try to make the most of James’ presence while he’s still there, as opposed to building for the future.