Report: Lakers Hire Former LeBron James Poster Victim As Assistant Coach

The Los Angeles Lakers won’t stop making changes. They rebuilt the roster. This time the franchise added a new assistant coach. LeBron James definitely remembers this guy as his poster victim. Yes, the list of “victims” seems to be really long, right?

As you may be guessing, the Lakers have just hired John Lucas III as their new assistant coach. Can you even imagine his first encounter with the team? Everyone will probably talk about the poster. Dave McMenamin of ESPN was among the first to share the big news.

The Lakers hired John Lucas III to their coaching staff, sources told ESPN. Lucas carved out a respectable journeyman NBA run at PG in a career that included stints in the G League, Europe and China. He joins LAL after coaching with MIN. … And he has some history with LeBron. pic.twitter.com/BBi8EXjn22

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) September 11, 2021

LeBron James and his poster victim will win games in 2021-22

Let’s go all the way to 2012. LeBron was part of the NBA for a decade. He was established as a superstar. His team was playing against the Chicago Bulls, and LeBron jumped over Lucas.

Lucas doesn’t mind any of this. He likes to throw jokes about this poster dunk. In 2013, he spoke about it during his convo with Bill Oram of The Athletic.

“That discounts, of course, the time LeBron James dunked over him. It was January 2012, and Lucas, then with the Bulls, was providing baseline help when James took a lob and went up and over the 5-foot-11 point guard.

“Our family just joined the witness protection program and changed its name,” Lucas II quipped to the Chicago Tribune.

Lucas now jokes about the play, and it catapulted him to a certain level of fame, leading, he said, to being a verified member of Twitter.

Every time I see him I’m like, ‘Thanks for the check,’” Lucas said, “‘the blue check next to my name.’”

Vogel will be working with an excellent group of professionals. Phil Handy is coming back and Mike Penberthy got his promotion. David Fizdale is a fresh addition to the squad. Assistant coaches needed someone to give them a hand in the new season.

The Lakers are entering a challenging season. They finished the 2020-21 NBA season at the very bottom of the Western Conference. The Phoenix Suns eliminated LA in the first round.