Lakers head coach explains 'common denominator' that has fueled connection with LeBron James

Among the numerous intriguing storylines surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers last season, one that managed to fly under the radar a bit was the dynamic of how quickly players – and specifically LeBron James and Anthony Davis – bought in with their new head coach. Even while the situation with Russell Westbrook prior to the trade deadline was swirling and the team got off to a brutal start to the campaign, first-year Lakers coach Darvin Ham never lost the locker room – or anything close to it.

The entire dynamic from last season was an interesting one, but the dynamic of his rapport and connection with James was noteworthy. During a recent interview with Marc Stein and Chris Haynes on the #thisleague UNCUT podcast, Ham was asked about the topic of a rookie or first-year coach being able to work with James and the coach had a great answer breaking down the dynamic.

"I've been around this league for a quarter of a century, and so knowing Bron like I do, I think the common denominator between he and I is the hunger to win and to win at a high level and just sit and talk. He and AD [Anthony Davis] are my team captains," Ham explained.

"I think communication is key in a collaborative mindset of — not your way or what works best for you specifically, individually — we're going to fail. If it's not something that the whole group can embrace and thrive on, then maybe it's not a good idea," Ham continued. "And I'm not afraid to say that or challenge my guys, man, in certain ways. And again, not being laughy, joking, or being dark and aggressive and abrasive, like just calling a cat a cat, being real, and just having a type of temperament where they know I'm serious, and we're going to push forward and try to make it work. But it's just not going to be something we pull out of the sky, it's going to be a well-thought-out, well-informed decision or course of action."

While there are a number of factors to take away from this, the obvious detail of the duo having a "common denominator" focused around the desire to win and to do so at a high level sticks out. It'll be interesting to see how Ham and the Lakers build off last year's solid run and if they are able to get over the hump and back to the NBA Finals, but betting against the new-look group doesn't seem like a wise choice at this moment.