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Kendrick Perkins ‘Accuses’ LeBron James’ Lakers of Petty Blame Game as Darvin Ham Bears the Brunt

Published 03/07/2024, 8:33 AM EST

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Fans spare no one when they are let down. And Los Angeles Lakers‘ fans are feeling major disappointment as of now. The Lakers recently lost to the Sacramento Kings by 120-130. Now some fans are holding collective team performance responsible while others are pointing out individual faults. Lakers coach Darvin Ham has been no exception to this blame game.

However, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins has come to Ham’s rescue. The 2008 NBA champion has expressed his furiousness over the fanbase blaming their coach every time they lose. “Every time the Lakers struggle… they blame the Coach. Lakers had a coach in Vogel that they won a Chip with,” Perkins posted on X. The reply came in to an X user, who was blaming Ham for the Lakers’ recent loss.

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“Need to get Darvin Ham out of there. Let Phil Handy take over,” the fan had commented on Perkins’ QnA post. However, he was not the only one who raised questions on Ham. Another user, in fact, had a series of questions surrounding the Lakers’ defeat to the Kings.

“Why is Darvin Ham still coaching the Lakers? Why is AD so soft? Why can’t Lakers find a real Center??” another comment questioned . Meanwhile, Darvin Ham has refused to take accountability for the loss, as he believes in the end it all comes down to just playing harder.

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Notably, this is not the first time that the Lakers’ fans are holding the team coach responsible for a loss. As mentioned by Kendrick Perkins in his tweet, ex-Lakers coach Frank Vogel too had to face a severe lash back after the 2021-2022 season.

Why did the Lakers fire a championship winning coach?

The decision came as a shock to a lot of members of the NBA community, considering the fact that Vogel had led Lakers to championship win in 2020. The primary factor behind Vogel’s dismissal was the Lakers’ disappointing 2021-22 season. The Lakers finished with a record of 33-49, failing to qualify for the playoffs and falling far short of expectations.

USA Today via Reuters

However, some believe that there were other factors involved behind the 2021-22 failure, which were not taken into consideration. It is said that Anthony Davis missing significant portions of the season because of injuries disrupted team cohesion.

Meanwhile, some analysts had argued that the roster lacked a good fit, particularly with the addition of Russell Westbrook. As per the reports, Westbrook was not cooperating with Vogel and his instructions. However, in the end, it was Vogel who had to take the fall.

Do you think Lakers puts the blame on the coach every time they struggle? Let us know your views on the team’s recent loss in the comments.

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Written by:

Khelendra Kumar Yadav

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Khelendra is an NBA writer at Essentially Sports, where he brings insightful analysis and engaging content to basketball enthusiasts worldwide. With a passion for the game cultivated from his own experiences as a basketball player, he has represented his school team in numerous tournaments, honing both skills and an intimate understanding of the sport. Khelendra holds a PG Diploma in Digital Media from a reputed university, providing him with a solid foundation in multimedia storytelling and digital content creation.
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Edited by:

Aakash Nair