Incredible old photo goes viral of LeBron James and new Lakers coach
Jan 21, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James has certainly been around the block for quite some time now.
On Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers hired Darvin Ham to become their next head coach, according to multiple reports. Ham was previously an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks and also played in the NBA for many years.
An incredible old photo of Ham and LeBron James went viral in light of the news. The photo from 2004 showed Ham, who was then a member of the Detroit Pistons, guarding James, then a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Darvin Ham guarding 19-year-old LeBron James, November 24, 2004 pic.twitter.com/AxLrgxw6ON
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 28, 2022
It is hard to believe that James, 37, and Ham, 48, played in the NBA at the same time. Since that photo was taken, Ham left the NBA (in 2005), played in the Philippines, played in the NBA D-League, then coached in the NBA D-League, became an assistant coach in the NBA, made three different multi-year stops as an assistant coach, won the championship with Milwaukee last season, and finally got hired as Lakers coach. Now Ham will be coaching James, who has continued to play in the NBA all throughout that time.
Ham has the unenviable task of turning around an aging Lakers team that went 33-49 this season and still potentially has to make it work with a Big Three of James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. For James specifically, he offered his reaction to the hiring of Ham on Friday.
