NBA fans have been telling the Los Angeles Lakers to replace Darvin Ham with LeBron James if they want to make another head-coaching change.

Reports claim that the Lakers will part ways with Ham, 50, after Los Angeles crashed out of the 2024 NBA Playoffs in the first round.

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NBA fans have been telling the Los Angeles Lakers to hire LeBron James as the next head coach if they want to part ways with Darvin HamCredit: Reuters

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Reports claim Ham will lose his job after the Lakers crashed out of the NBA playoffs in the first roundCredit: Getty
NBA insiders said Ham’s days were numbered almost immediately after the Denver Nuggets beat the Lakers in Game 5 on Monday to clinic the preseason series.

On Thursday, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha reported that the Michigan native could in fact be relieved of his duties before the week ends.

“The latest I’ve heard is the plan is still to move on from Darvin [Ham] at some point, likely by the end of the week, potentially as early as tomorrow,” Buha said on The Athletic NBA Show.

“Then the head coaching search will start. I’ve already started to hear some names from different people.”

If Ham is indeed axed, the Lakers would be looking to hire a fourth head coach since James, 39, signed with the team in 2018-19.

During that time, Luke Walton and Frank Vogel coached Los Angeles before the ex-Milwaukee Bucks assistant took over in 2022.

And NBA fans joked the team might as well put LeBron in charge of the team.

“Just appoint LeBron as the player-coach and save a few pennies. He already acts like the coach,” one wrote.

“Hire the GM LeBron as coach, GM, and player,” another added.

“Just hire LeBron to coach at this point,” one wrote.

Ham seemed to have lost the backing of his All-Stars during the 2023-24 season.

James could be seen screaming at the Lakers head coach when he didn’t want to challenge a fourth-quarter call as the four-time NBA champion suggested in the 119-108 win in Game 4.

Meanwhile, Anthony Davis publically questioned Los Angeles’ game plan after the crushing 101-99 loss in Game 2.

“We’ve shown we’re more than capable,” Davis said.

“We have stretches where we just don’t know what we’re doing on both ends of the floor and those are the ones that have cost us.

“We have two days to get it right and come ready to win Game 3.”

The Lakers had to fight for a postseason spot in the play-in tournament in back-to-back seasons during Ham’s tenure.

However, Los Angeles reached the Western Conference Finals in 2022-23 — before getting swept by the Nuggets, who ended up winning the championship, in the series.

It’s yet to be seen if James will return to Los Angeles himself, though, with the 6-foot-9 forward having a $51.4 million player option for 2024-25.