Michael Wilbon delivered a vintage fastball of a rant on LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham after losing their first round series against the Nuggets in five games, a year after getting swept by Denver in last season’s Western Conference Finals.
On ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” on Friday, Wilbon took James and Davis to task for Ham getting thrown under the bus.
Michael Wilbon demolished LeBron James and Anthony Davis over Darvin Ham getting fired as head coach of the Lakers.ESPN
“You know what? I’m angry. I’ve known Darvin Ham for a long time,” Wilbon began.
“He’s a great guy and he’s a pretty damn good coach. He took a team that had done nothing the year before, and missed the playoffs, and then last year they got to the conference finals with him and everybody had praise for him — including LeBron and Anthony Davis.”
Wilbon said that if LeBron James wants to be considered the greatest player of all time then he should carry that burden accordingly.
“And now all of a sudden the two of them blame him. Their public comments are inadequate,” Wilbon continued about James and Davis.
“Let me just say this: If you [LeBron] want to be the GOAT and you want to tell everybody you’re the greatest player of all time, then take accountability like one. Do that!”
Wilbon brought up videos that are spreading on social media that show Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan putting their hand up and saying they had to play better after losing a playoff series.
“There’s been some of that, but there hasn’t been nearly enough,” Wilbon said, speaking of James.
“If you’re the GOAT, you do that. You don’t blame this cryptically or backhandedly on Darvin Ham. I don’t want to hear from anybody in a Laker uniform that the primary problem was Darvin Ham.
Los Angeles Lakers forwards LeBron James, left, and Anthony Davis, right, sit on the bench before an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Los Angeles, Sunday, March 10, 2024.AP
Anthony Davis and LeBron JamesPetre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
“Yes, LeBron and Anthony Davis were great in that series, but they weren’t good enough against Denver, so take that on. GOAT carries responsibility.”
Reported candidates to succeed Ham with the Lakers have included former Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer and J.J. Redick, the ESPN color commentator who cohosts a podcast with James.
