The Los Angeles Lakers have fired Darvin Ham, making him the seventh head coach to be fired out of the nine coaches that LeBron James has had in his 21-year NBA career.
James is one of the greatest players of all time, and there are heavy expectations on all his coaches when finding a winning formula around him. While Darvin Ham is the latest to fail under expectations, some excellent coaches have found winning formulas around The King.
Erik Spoelstra and Frank Vogel are two names that have won a combined three NBA titles with LeBron on the roster, and we have collected the names of all the coaches James has had over his illustrious career.
Paul Silas (2003-2005)
NBA Championships: 0
NBA Finals Appearances: 0
Regular-Season Record: 66-75
Playoff Record: 0-0
As head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2003 to 2005, Paul Silas undertook the difficult task of mentoring 18-year-old rookie LeBron James, who was embarking on his journey as a professional player. The Cavaliers were not expected to be very good with LeBron needing some time to find his footing as a superstar, and that shows with Silas’ record.
Amidst the turmoil, a change in ownership occurred, with Dan Gilbert assuming control of the team. It was under Gilbert’s ownership that Silas was relieved of his duties in the middle of the season, a decision made with the Cavaliers holding a respectable 34–30 record and occupying the fifth position in the Eastern Conference standings. However, Silas wasn’t the right man to lead LeBron going forward.
Brendan Malone (2005)
NBA Championships: 0
NBA Finals Appearances: 0
Regular Season Record: 8-10
Playoff Record: 0-0
After the dismissal of Paul Silas, the Cleveland Cavaliers turned to interim head coach Michael Malone, the father of current Nuggets head coach, Michael Malone. In his brief tenure, Malone guided the team through the final 18 games of the season, culminating in an 8-10 record. Despite their efforts, the Cavaliers fell short of playoff qualification, finishing with a 42-40 record.
Mike Brown (2005-2010)
NBA Championships: 0
NBA Finals Appearances: 1
Regular Season Record: 265-124
Playoff Record: 42-29
Mike Brown assumed the role of head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers, succeeding Brendan Malone in 2005. Brown became the league’s second-youngest coach behind Lawrence Frank at the time. Upon his arrival, the Cavaliers were striving to reverse their postseason absence, having missed the playoffs in LeBron James’s initial two NBA seasons. Under Brown’s stewardship, the team achieved a notable turnaround, clinching 50 victories and securing a playoff berth in the 2005–06 season, winning their first-round series but losing against the Detroit Pistons in seven games in the second round.
The key moment of Brown and James’ relationship came in the 2007 season when the Cavaliers triumphed over the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals, boosting them to the NBA Finals. However, their championship aspirations were swiftly dashed as they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs.
The apex of Brown’s tenure with the Cavaliers came in 2009 when he was honored as the NBA Coach of the Year, a testament to his stewardship as the team amassed a league-best 66–16 record. Despite consistently impressive regular-season performances, including another league-leading 61-win campaign in 2009–10, Brown’s tenure concluded abruptly. Following a disappointing exit from the Eastern Conference semifinals at the hands of the Boston Celtics on May 13, 2010, Brown was fired for not winning an NBA title with James.
Erik Spoelstra (2010-2014)
NBA Championships: 2
NBA Finals Appearances: 4
Regular Season Record: 215-79
Playoff Record: 59-28
After Erik Spoelstra was named the successor to legendary coach Pat Riley (who stepped down), the young coach was thrust into a difficult position once LeBron James and Chris Bosh came to the Miami Heat in free agency. However, the start of the 2010–11 season was marred by a rocky 9–8 record, leading to reported frustrations among players directed towards head coach Erik Spoelstra. Some players expressed concerns about the intensity of practices, and tensions peaked when LeBron James visibly bumped into Spoelstra during a timeout, fueling speculation about Spoelstra’s future.
Despite these challenges, Spoelstra’s leadership proved resilient as the team rallied to secure a playoff berth and finished with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. The Heat’s resurgence culminated in an appearance in the 2011 NBA Finals, albeit ending in defeat to the Dallas Mavericks in six games. Despite the concerns about Spoelstra’s ability to lead, Pat Riley believed that he would be the best coach for LeBron James and company and he would return the following year. That proved to be the correct move.
The following seasons saw Spoelstra guide the Heat to back-to-back championship runs. In the 2011–12 season, the Heat overcame adversity, including injuries to key players like Chris Bosh, to secure the NBA title by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games. LeBron James won his first NBA title and Finals MVP, finally becoming an NBA champion. The Heat would win a championship in the following season, with LeBron winning his second-straight championship and Finals MVP trophy after defeating the San Antonio Spurs.
Following the Heat’s Finals loss in 2014, marking their fourth-straight appearance, LeBron James decided to take his talents back to Cleveland and he bid goodbye to a very successful four years under talented head coach Erik Spoelstra.
David Blatt (2014-2016)
NBA Championships: 0
NBA Finals Appearances: 1
Regular Season Record: 80-29
Playoff Record: 14-6
David Blatt assumed the helm as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, rather surprisingly. His appointment came hot on the heels of being crowned the EuroLeague Coach of the Year and went on to win Eastern Conference Coach of the Month in April 2015. Under his guidance, the Cavaliers surged to the top of the Eastern Conference, showcasing their dominance in various statistical categories and notching an impressive 53–29 record for the season.
Still, there were concerns about Blatt’s ability to keep his players in line, including LeBron James, who many felt was the true coach of the team. Regardless of those rumors, Blatt would have an incredible accomplishment with James as his player in the 2015 season. The pinnacle of Blatt’s coaching tenure with the Cavaliers came when he and his counterpart, Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors, made history as the first pair of rookie NBA coaches to face off in the NBA Finals since the league’s inception in 1947. Although the Cavaliers fell short against the Warriors in a hard-fought series, Blatt’s impact on the team’s success was undeniable.
Despite the team’s promising start to the following season under Blatt’s guidance, the Cavaliers made the surprising decision to part ways with him on January 22, 2016. Despite holding the best record in their conference at 30–11, the move was attributed to a perceived lack of alignment with the team’s personnel and vision.
Tyronn Lue (2016-2018)
NBA Championships: 1
NBA Finals Appearances: 3
Regular Season Record: 127-65
Playoff Record: 41-20
Tyronn Lue assumed the role of head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers following the mid-season dismissal of Blatt, signing a three-year contract. His tenure got off to a remarkable start as he led the Cavaliers to their first NBA championship later that year. Lue’s coaching prowess was evident as the Cavaliers maintained an unbeaten streak in the 2016 playoffs, making him the first coach in NBA history to win his first 10 postseason games. Additionally, his achievement of coming back from a 3-1 deficit was truly extraordinary.
The 2016–17 NBA season saw Lue continue his success, guiding the Cavaliers to a 51–31 regular-season record. Despite a strong playoff run with a 12–1 record leading up to the 2017 NBA Finals, the Cavaliers fell to the Golden State Warriors in five games. Lue faced personal health challenges during his tenure, taking a leave of absence from coaching the Cavaliers in March 2018 due to recurrent chest pain. However, he returned before the regular season ended and helped lead the Cavaliers to the 2018 NBA Finals, where they ultimately succumbed to the Warriors again in four games.
Known for his adaptable coaching style and reliance on LeBron James’s leadership, Lue emphasized flexibility and strategic adjustments, which was evident in the 2016 Finals. While his teams may have appeared inconsistent during the regular season, Lue garnered praise for his ability to strategize and create matchup advantages during the playoffs before his firing after a 0-6 start to the 2018-19 season when LeBron James was on the Lakers. Even if LeBron wasn’t exactly on the Cavaliers, only six games into a new season hardly lends itself to being short of a coincidence.
Luke Walton (2018-2019)
NBA Championships: 0
NBA Finals Appearances: 0
Regular Season Record: 28-27
Playoff Record: 0-0
The 2018–19 season carried lofty expectations for the Los Angeles Lakers following the blockbuster signing of LeBron James to a four-year, $153.3 million contract. With James anchoring a roster comprising promising young talent and seasoned veterans on short-term deals, anticipation ran high for a successful campaign. Initially, Lakers legend Magic Johnson preached patience, urging a measured approach during the preseason.
However, a sluggish start to the season, marked by a 2–5 record, prompted a shift in tone from Johnson, who voiced his dissatisfaction with head coach Luke Walton and demanded immediate improvement. LeBron James would eventually endure an injury that would keep him out for most of the season, completing only 55 games. The Lakers would go on to finish a disappointing 37–45 season record.
Compounded by season-ending injuries to Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, the trio of James, Ball, and Ingram only managed to share the court for a mere 23 games, achieving a commendable 15–8 record during their brief stint together. The Lakers’ campaign was further marred by a barrage of injuries, with players collectively missing over 210 games throughout the season. Amidst the mounting challenges, Magic Johnson took the surprising step of resigning from his role as president of basketball operations, and many were wondering when LeBron James would get his chance to win with the Lakers.
Frank Vogel (2019-2022)
NBA Championships: 1
NBA Finals Appearances: 1
Regular Season Record: 105-63
Playoff Record: 18-9
In Frank Vogel’s inaugural season during 2019–20, Vogel steered the Lakers toward becoming one of the NBA’s premier defensive squads. His leadership propelled the team to an impressive 52–19 record, clinching the top spot in the Western Conference and securing the third-best record league-wide. Vogel’s achievements earned him the honor of coaching the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. The playoffs showcased Vogel’s strategic prowess as the Lakers dispatched formidable opponents, including the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets, each in five games.
The pinnacle of Vogel’s debut season culminated in a hard-fought battle against the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals, where the Lakers emerged victorious in six games, capturing their 17th NBA championship and equaling the Boston Celtics’ record for the most titles in league history. Notably, the Lakers endured over 100 days in the NBA bubble due to the COVID-19 pandemic, further underscoring Vogel’s ability to navigate challenges and lead his team to success.
However, the following season posed new hurdles for Vogel and the Lakers. Despite a promising start, injuries to key players LeBron James and Anthony Davis disrupted the team’s momentum. James only played 45 games in the 2021 season, and the Lakers lost in the first round. He appeared in 56 games in 2022, and the Lakers missed the playoffs. Despite the bad luck he was facing, the Lakers decided to part ways with Vogel after three seasons at the helm, during which he amassed a respectable 127–98 record with the team and 105-63 with LeBron James playing.
Darvin Ham (2022-24)
NBA Championships: 0
NBA Finals Appearances: 0
Regular Season Record: 71-55
Playoff Record: 9-12
After winning an NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach, Darvin Ham’s stock was rising in the NBA as a potential head coach. On June 3, 2022, the Los Angeles Lakers appointed Ham as their head coach. However, the start of his tenure was marked by a challenging 2–10 record. Despite the early struggles, Ham rallied the team, guiding them to a berth in the 2023 NBA playoffs as the 7th seed.
Their postseason journey saw them defy expectations, reaching the Western Conference finals—a remarkable feat that marked them as only the second 7th seed in NBA history to achieve such a milestone. Unfortunately, their aspirations were cut short as they were swept by the eventual champions, the Denver Nuggets.
On December 9, 2023, Ham’s Lakers clinched victory in the inaugural season of the NBA In-Season Tournament, showcasing their resilience and adaptability under his guidance. Despite this success, their performance in the 2024 NBA playoffs fell short of expectations. Despite securing a spot as the 7th seed once again, the Lakers suffered a disappointing first-round exit, losing in five games to the Nuggets.
The series was marked by the Lakers’ inability to maintain double-digit leads in all four of their losses, including a significant 20-point advantage squandered in Game 2. As in the case of LeBron’s coaches that don’t win a turtle quickly, Ham was dismissed and the Lakers have yet to announce their next head coach.
9 Coaches In 21 Years, 7 Of Them Fired
The revolving door of coaching changes in LeBron James’ 21-year career underscores the volatile nature of coaching in the NBA. With a total of nine coaches over two decades, James has experienced a wide array of coaching styles, strategies, and personalities. Remarkably, seven of these coaches were ultimately fired, highlighting the immense pressure and high expectations placed on coaches, particularly when coaching a superstar of James’ caliber.
Despite the tumultuous turnover, James found success under the guidance of three of his coaches. Erik Spoelstra stands out as the most successful, leading James to two NBA championships during their time together with the Miami Heat. Additionally, James secured one title each under the leadership of Tyronn Lue and Frank Vogel, with the Cavaliers and Lakers, respectively.
As James enters a new chapter with the Los Angeles Lakers and anticipates the appointment of his 10th head coach, the narrative of coaching stability versus turnover continues to evolve. Regardless of who assumes the helm, James’ legacy as one of the greatest players in NBA history remains intact, but it is also not the easiest job to coach The King.
