Report: LeBron James’ Camp Wants Luke Walton Fired

The Los Angeles Lakers have an awful season. The team signed LeBron James in the summer, but he was injured on Christmas Day, and things went downhill. LeBron brought the team to the fifth seed, but they are now ninth in the Western Conference. Is Luke Walton responsible for this?

ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan reported that LeBron James’ camp want Luke Walton fired. This has nothing to do with LeBron himself.

“It’s clear to me, and probably to you, Brian, that LeBron’s camp would prefer a coaching change—they’re not too subtle about that,” MacMullan said.

“Not LeBron, but all the people around LeBron. There’s plenty of them and they’ve made it known. I don’t think this is a shock, is it? There’s a lot of tension in that building. I think people are wondering about Luke Walton, even though (owner and president) Jeanie Buss came out very strongly and said, ‘I want Luke to be here, I back him 100 percent,’ but then also made the point that has to be made—and that is that she hired Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson to make these decisions.”

The Lakers own the ninth seed at the moment. That’s 1.5 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers and losers of three straight contests. LeBron’s injury put the team into panic mode. He has already missed 15 games due to his groin sprain. The Lakers have gone 5-10 without LeBron James and Rajon Rondo. Lonzo Ball is out, too. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

LA does not support Luke Walton

Walton’s job security was questioned long before LeBron joined the Lakers.

“Whatever you want to say about LaVar Ball, he has smoked out the fact that the Lakers do not support Luke Walton,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst noted. “That is now crystal clear. There are now guys out there wondering openly to me, executives, coaching agents, wondering who the Lakers are going to hire as their next coach. That has been revealed here, that they do not have unconditional support for Luke.”