Feb 3, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) high fives head coach Darvin Ham during the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Darvin Ham Understands LeBron James’ Call For Urgency

Originally posted on Lakers Nation | By Matt Peralta | Last updated Feb 4, 2024 11:10 AM ET

With how famous and popular he is, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has the power to grab headlines at the press of a button.

Recently, James fired off a late-night tweet of the hourglass emoji with that most people interpreted as time’s up. The media landscape and internet immediately speculated that James was implying that his time with the Lakers could be coming to an end and it sparked several hypothetical trade scenarios.

The talk got so rampant that James’ agent Rich Paul came out and confirmed that the superstar won’t be traded. However, it still lingers as a “what-if” across the league given the Lakers’ struggles during the 2023-24 season.

Head coach Darvin Ham was asked about James’ tweet and acknowledged that he would do the same if he was in his position, Jovan Buha of The Athletic:

Darvin Ham says he understands LeBron James’ sense of urgency in Year 21 and that he would’ve put out “two or three” hourglass emoji tweets by this point if he were in LeBron’s shoes.

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) February 4, 2024

At 39 years old, James is running out of time to capture at least one more title and the Lakers front office should be doing everything it can to improve the roster to give him a legitimate chance to do so. Los Angeles has been active around the trade deadline, and is primed to make some sort of deal though no clear options have been presented yet.

Planning for the future of the team is difficult when James is playing at the level he is and he’s shown that the current version of the team is worth investing in. The Lakers are built to win now and although they’re a couple of tiers away from being in the championship contender conversation, James’ presence gives them a chance to win no matter who they play.

With the deadline less than a week away, the pressure is on for Los Angeles to win games and find pieces to add to the team. Hopefully Rob Pelinka and company come through or else it could mean the end of their partnership with James.

LeBron James declines to elaborate on cryptic tweet and future with Lakers

Prior to their win against the New York Knicks, James was asked about his cryptic tweet and he immediately declined to explain it. He also didn’t give any insight into his future plans with the Lakers.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Lakers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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