Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James has made a significant impact in the Akron, Ohio, community, but he's now taking his outreach efforts above and beyond with the construction of a new medical facility in the city where he grew up.

The LeBron James Family Foundation has announced it will build a multimillion-dollar I Promise HealthQuarters medical facility in Akron, Ohio, according to Craig Webb of the Akron Beacon Journal. The project is set to begin soon.

Students who attend James' I Promise school and their families, in addition to the Akron, Ohio, community, will have access to full medical, dental, optometry, mental health services and counseling services, according to Webb. It will also have on-site lab services and a reduced-cost pharmacy.

"It takes a village to help raise a kid and make a true difference," James wrote in a Twitter post announcing the medical facility. "Love my kids and their families!"

The LeBron James Family Foundation partnered with AxessPointe Community Health Partners to make the I Promise HealthQuarters facility become reality. They have been working on the $3 million-plus project for months.

"The greatest wealth for a community is good health," said Mark Frisone, executive director of AxessPointe. "The (LeBron James Family) Foundation understands this for the community."

In addition to AxessPointe, Coleman Health Services and Peg's Foundation will provide mental health services at the I Promise HealthQuarters. Peg's Foundation has been working with James' foundation for five years to offer mental health services who attend James' I Promise school.

The facility is set to open in 2023. It is one of a number of initiatives from James' foundation, whose mission states:

"With a commitment to redefining community and building strong families, The LeBron James Family Foundation invests its time, resources and passion into creating generational change for kids and families of James' hometown in Akron, Ohio through a focus on education and co-curricular educational initiatives."

In addition to the medical facility and I Promise School, the foundation has also opened House Three Thirty, which is a workforce training facility, and the I Promise Village, which provides transitional housing for families impacted by various challenges.

I Promise Housing offers long-term affordable housing, and the I Promise Institute at the University of Akron provides I Promise students with higher-education support.

Newly hired Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham didn't take long to begin addressing his coaching staff.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin and Adrian Wojnarowski reported assistant coaches David Fizdale, Mike Penberthy and John Lucas III won't return following Ham's arrival.

Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes reported Phil Handy will, however, be back for a fourth year with the Lakers. Quinton Crawford will also return next season, per McMenamin and Wojnarowski.

Wojnarowski added that Ham has reached out to "several possible candidates around the league" and filling out his bench could be a weekslong process.

Fizdale joined Los Angeles ahead of the 2021-22 season after having most recently coached the New York Knicks across two seasons.

The 47-year-old may not have to wait long for his next gig. NBA insider Marc Stein reported Monday that Dwyane Wade, who has a minority ownership stake in the Utah Jazz, "could push the team to consider" Fizdale as a replacement for Quin Snyder.

Penberthy, who was with the Lakers as a player for two years, returned in 2019 as an assistant following the hiring of Frank Vogel. Like Fizdale, Lucas only had one year under his belt in L.A.

Although Wojnarowski indicated Ham won't rush into making new hires, he has reportedly already made one move. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Monday that four-time All-Star Rasheed Wallace will agree to a deal with the Lakers.

Tuesday's news follows previous reporting from Stein that Ham was granted "autonomy to pick his coaching staff." In addition, the Lakers pledged that "senior adviser Kurt Rambis will not be a regular presence in coaching meetings like he was with Vogel."

Stein described the developments as "significant concessions" given Ham's lack of experience as a head coach.

That not only represented a show of faith in Ham from the organization but also likely reflected a level of leverage he has over L.A. based on the larger questions looming for the team.

LeBron James is once again flirting with the idea of teaming up with Stephen Curry.

In the preview trailer for the upcoming episode of The Shop, James said the Warriors are the one remaining playoff team he'd want to play for.

"It'd be Golden State. I would love getting into a pissing match with Draymond [Green]; I love when somebody cusses me out," James said.

The four-time MVP previously identified Curry as the one NBA player he'd want to play with.

"In today's game, s--t, there some motherf--kers in today's game, but Steph Curry," James said on The Shop. "Steph Curry is the one that I want to play with for sure in today's game. ... I love everything about that guy. Lethal. Steph, when he get out his car, you better guard him right from the moment he pulls up to the arena. Soon as he get out of his car, you better guard his ass."

Curry's response was one of thanks-but-no-thanks flattery.

"Well, he's got his wish," Curry said on 95.7 The Game (h/t NBC Sports). "When he's the captain, he's picked me the last two All-Star Games. I don't know if that suffices, but I'm good right now. Whenever you get the interest or curiosity of what it would be like to play with the MVP-caliber dude that he is, one of the greatest of all time, it's cool. That's amazing. We all can live in that fantasy world."

It's unclear when the most recent episode of The Shop was taped, so James' choices among the remaining teams were likely limited to two or four. In the event it was taped ahead of the NBA Finals, odds are James didn't want to alienate Lakers nation by saying he'd want to play for the rival Celtics.

Either way, it's clear there's at least part of LeBron that's intrigued by the idea of playing alongside Curry and trading competitive barbs with Green.

It's ultimately a pipe dream given the cap constraints and unprecedented fallout that would occur. That said, we've all dipped our toes into the fantasy-draft waters on 2K before; to say they'd be a force to be reckoned with together is an understatement.

New Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said he aims to take some pressure off the shoulders of LeBron James during the 2022-23 NBA season.

Ham explained during his introductory press conference Monday that "maintenance" for the entire roster will be important coming off an injury-plagued campaign, and that starts with helping the 37-year-old four-time MVP stay healthy.

"So that will be my No. 1 goal: to try to lessen some of the wear and tear on LeBron, because I feel like the level he's playing at is not going anywhere anytime soon," Ham told reporters. "So I just want to try to assist him with being able to sustain that level."

The Lakers are coming off a forgettable season in which they missed the playoffs with a 33-49 record after entering the year with championship-level expectations.

James (56 games played) and Anthony Davis (40) were both sidelined for a significant portion of the campaign, while Carmelo Anthony (69), Austin Reaves (61) and Talen Horton-Tucker (60) were among the role players to miss a chunk of the schedule.

Davis has played just 76 regular-season games over the past two seasons combined, and Ham noted seeing him on the floor more regularly is a key part of the equation alongside James and Russell Westbrook.

"LeBron is always going to be great; LeBron is going to be LeBron. Russ is going to be Russ. But we need consistency out of Anthony Davis," Ham said. "We need him to be healthy, we need him to be in a good mental space."

It's no coincidence that when Davis played 62 of L.A.'s 71 regular-season contests and all 21 of its playoff games in 2019-20, the franchise went on to capture a championship.

So, while the Lakers roster figures to receive a shake-up for the second straight summer, finding a way to keep their superstars on the floor will be the most important factor in returning to title contention next season.

That takes on added importance because 2022-23 is the last season of James' contract, and he's been dropping some not-so-subtle hints he may want to make other stops before the end of his legendary career.

In April, he named the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry as the one active NBA player he'd like to team up with, and he previously expressed his desire to finish his playing days on the same roster as his son, 2024 draft prospect Bronny James.

"My last year will be played with my son," James told Jason Lloyd of The Athletic in February. "Wherever Bronny is at, that's where I'll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It's not about the money at that point."

Between this season's frustrations and James' uncertain future, it's unknown how much longer the Lakers' championship window will remain open.

In turn, there's an immediate sense of urgency for Ham to fix the team's problems and get L.A. back among the league's elite in his first year leading the staff.

Russell Westbrook's time with the Los Angeles Lakers may not be limited to just one season after all.

New Lakers head coach Darvin Ham told reporters Monday that he "absolutely" views the future Hall of Famer as an important part of the team going forward. Ham also called Westbrook "one of the best players our league has ever seen" with productive years still remaining:

Ham also seems to have a vision for the point guard considering he said there have been positive one-on-one conversations about "sacrifice" and Westbrook's ability to make plays without the ball and on the defensive end.

The UCLA product has been a ball-dominant playmaker throughout his career, but there was certainly an adjustment period alongside LeBron James this past season.

Not only is James ball-dominant as well, but the King often also benefits from effective outside shooters around him given his impressive passing skills and the defensive attention he consistently draws. Westbrook is far from an effective outside shooter and connected on 29.8 percent of his triples during his first season in Los Angeles.

Defense was also a concern, as opponents shot 3.3 percent better than their normal averages when Westbrook guarded them in 2021-22, per NBA.com.

Los Angeles' failure to make the playoffs despite championship-or-bust expectations fell on more than just the point guard, as James and Anthony Davis both missed time with injuries and the supporting cast struggled to establish consistency.

However, Westbrook was also under the spotlight as the marquee addition for the campaign, and his shortcomings became an easy focal point.

That led to plenty of speculation about his immediate future with the team, as simply running things back with him and James, 37, another year older doesn't seem like the best formula to compete in the Western Conference in 2022-23.

Yet Ham apparently sees the nine-time All-Star and 2016-17 NBA MVP as part of the plans to turn things around and compete for another championship.

David Fizdale could be a candidate to replace Quin Snyder as head coach of the Utah Jazz, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein:

There have likewise been rumbles for months emanating from Salt Lake City that Jazz minority owner Dwyane Wade could push the team to consider Lakers assistant coach David Fizdale for the post after Wade's years in Miami alongside Fizdale when he worked as an assistant under Erik Spoelstra.

The Jazz have an opening after Snyder stepped down from his role Sunday after eight seasons with the team. He had two years remaining on his contract.

Fizdale was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021-22 after spending parts of four seasons as a head coach with the Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks. He produced a 71-134 record in the two stops and was fired early in the second year each time.

Fizdale racked up a lot of experience as an NBA assistant before getting his first coaching job, including eight years with the Miami Heat. He coached Wade during each of those seasons, serving as the associate head coach from 2014 to '16.

Wade earned eight of his 13 career All-Star selections during this time, plus two NBA titles and his lone scoring title in 2008-09.

It could create a powerful ally as the Jazz search for a new head coach.

Wade became a minority owner of the team in April 2021 with plans of taking on an active role with the organization.

The Jazz are coming off their sixth straight season with a playoff appearance, although three of the last four ended with a first-round loss.

There are also questions about the roster going forward, with All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell unsure about his future with the team after Snyder's resignation, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Center Rudy Gobert could also draw interest in a trade, per Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer.

It's among the many decisions the organization must make in the coming weeks and months.

Rasheed Wallace has reportedly agreed to join Darvin Ham's coaching staff with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the news after Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway said it was "likely" that Wallace would join the Lakers, per Jason Munz of the Memphis News.

Charania noted Wallace and the Lakers "have not yet reached a formal contract stage."

Wallace spent last season as an assistant coach under Hardaway, working remotely in the second half of the year because of health and safety protocols.

The 47-year-old also spent one year as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons.

He is best known for his playing career, spending 16 seasons in the NBA while earning four All-Star selections. He helped the Pistons win the NBA title in 2004.

Ham, who had an eight-year playing career in the NBA, was teammates with Wallace in Detroit from 2003 to 2005.

The Lakers announced Ham as the team's head coach last week after he spent four years as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks. He also worked for the Atlanta Hawks after spending 2011-13 on the Lakers staff under Mike Brown.

Los Angeles is hoping the hire will turn things around after the squad finished 33-49 last season, good for 11th in the Western Conference.

Though the roster has significant question marks, LeBron James and Anthony Davis represent the core of the team and are talented enough on their own to create a contender when healthy.

Wallace, who played against James early in the superstar's career, could be another experienced voice in the locker room as the Lakers try to reach expectations.

LeBron James may be about to set a record in the trading card world.

A Panini Triple Logoman card of James could set the all-time record for a trading card at over $6.6 million at auction, according to TMZ Sports.

“The LeBron James Triple Logoman card is the undisputed holy grail of modern cards,” said Goldin Auctions founder Ken Goldin.

The card features logos from jerseys worn by James during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. Only five Triple Logoman cards were made overall and only one features James.

The card was released as part of Panini's 2020-21 collection and led to a frenzy among collectors trying to land the coveted collectible. TMZ Sports noted that Drake bought 10 cases of Panini cards, totaling $460,000, in hopes of landing the Triple Jumpman LeBron.

It turns out the rapper will have a chance to land the card after all—so long as he's willing to pay around 14-15 times what he's already dropped.

The all-time record for a trading card is the Honus Wagner T-206 card, which went for $6.6 million.

Darvin Ham had never previously been a head coach. Now, the 48-year-old is taking over that role for the Los Angeles Lakers and inheriting a roster that includes LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook as the team looks to rebound from a hugely disappointing 2021-22 season.

It wasn't always clear that Ham was going to get the job. There had been rumors circulating about potential names as soon as the Lakers fired Frank Vogel in April. And it seems Los Angeles had its sights on some strong candidates other than Ham.

NBA reporter Marc Stein noted that he had heard among league coaching circles that Los Angeles' "preferred candidate" among coaches who were already under contract was Juwan Howard, who is the head coach at the University of Michigan. Stein reported that Howard was ranked ahead of Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers and Quin Snyder, who resigned as Utah Jazz head coach on Sunday.

Howard could have been an interesting fit with the Lakers. The 49-year-old, who played 19 seasons in the NBA, has spent the past three years with the Wolverines. He's had success, too, leading them to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament in 2021 and the Sweet 16 of the tourney earlier this year.

From 2013-19, Howard was an assistant for the Miami Heat under Erik Spoelstra. But is Howard ready to be an NBA head coach? It may be for the best that the Lakers didn't end up with Howard, as he may benefit from a few more seasons in the college ranks before making that jump.

Stein reported that Howard didn't want to interview with Los Angeles and chose to stay at Michigan, noting that the Lakers' job "was his if he wanted it."

Rivers and Snyder have each had success in the NBA, and the former may have had success in Los Angeles if he had opted to leave Philadelphia. Rivers knows how to coach star players, as he led the Boston Celtics to an NBA title in 2008 when they had Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

In a scenario in which he ends up with the Lakers, the 60-year-old Rivers would have had no trouble getting respect from the team's stars. So that could have been Los Angeles' best option if it could have gotten him.

That's not to say Ham won't have success with the Lakers, though. He knows the franchise, having served as an assistant for Los Angeles from 2011-13. Since then, he's served in assistant roles for the Atlanta Hawks (2013-18) and Milwaukee Bucks (2018-22).

So it was time for Ham to get his first opportunity as an NBA head coach. Especially after he helped the Bucks win a championship in 2021.

Was Ham the best choice to be the Lakers' new head coach? It seems like it, given their other options and the circumstances surrounding some of their potential targets like Rivers, who is already the head coach of a playoff team.

Don't be surprised if Ham gets Los Angeles back to the playoffs at the end of the 2022-23 season, as fresh leadership could be what the team needs to get back on course. There's talent on the roster, so that isn't an issue, especially if the Lakers can surround their stars with the right complementary players.