The Los Angeles Lakers have experienced their fair share of drama through the ups and downs of the 2018-19 NBA season. This makes it no surprise that the latest news revolving around the relationship between their head coach, Luke Walton, and star player, LeBron James, came by way of TMZ, who spoke with Walton briefly as he returned to Los Angeles following All-Star weekend.
Walton cleared the air with TMZ, letting them know that him and LeBron “get along just fine.”
This somewhat contradicts previous reports, specifically one by ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, that Walton could be on his way out because of a desired change from James and his camp. The hinging factor between the report and Walton’s words is that while Luke and LeBron could be entirely amicable and even enjoy and respect one another, there is still the chance that the people surrounding and representing LeBron could wish to have someone else running the team.
The possibility of Luke Walton being replaced as the Lakers’ head coach has been discussed all season long, with many names tossed around as a successor to the job. Brian Shaw, current assistant coach for the team has been pinned as a potential replacement, as well as Mark Jackson, Jason Kidd, or Tyronn Lue.
It seems that Luke’s job may be safe for now, as the latest out of the front office is still a promising endorsement by owner Jeanie Buss in speaking with Zach Lowe that did all but guarantee Walton will keep his job through the season. As of right now, the number one focus for the team remains finding a way to get back into the playoff pictures with only a little bit of season left to play.
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