Stephen A.: Coaches Took Issue with LeBron, JJ Redick Podcast amid Ham, Lakers Rumors

Some of Darvin Ham's coaching peers thought LeBron James' podcast Mind the Game undermined the former Los Angeles Lakers head coach, according to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.

Smith said Monday on First Take (via Awful Announcing) that "numerous coaches, Black coaches, called me expressing how they took issue with that podcast taking place." He added that "some of them felt very salty about that."

Per Smith, their issue was that the podcast "hurt" Ham, who was already under plenty of pressure amid a disappointing season from the Lakers.

Smith didn't mince words last Thursday on First Take. Offering his own opinion, he called James' decision to launch a podcast breaking down the game a "very egregious thing to do" given the timing. Whether LeBron intended for it to happen or not, the project indirectly invited more scrutiny upon Ham and presented Redick as an alternative to work alongside the 20-time All-Star.

Some of Smith's colleagues picked up that discussion Monday on Get Up.

ESPN's Jay Williams said Mind the Game was broadly in the work for years as an idea and predated Ham's tenure as the Lakers coach. However, Get Up host Mike Greenberg said the wider impact on Ham was inevitable, with Andraya Carter positing the podcast did reflect Redick's wider ambitions to coach in the NBA.

Perception is reality sometimes.

Should the Lakers ultimately pick Redick, all parties involved will have a hard time shaking the notion Mind the Game played a pivotal and perhaps decisive role in him getting the job.

It's not unprecedented for NBA teams to hire former players with no coaching experience, and this isn't the first offseason in which Redick was floated as a coaching candidate.

His situation would nonetheless be unique in that he received such a public endorsement from James by partnering on Mind the Game, which then showcased their strong rapport. The 39-year-old effectively interviewed with the Lakers before he ever formally sat down with team officials.

Few franchises carry more pressure than Los Angeles, and the urgency to win now is even more acute with LeBron and Anthony Davis both into their 30s. Redick specifically would also face plenty of early skepticism from critics who contend he was an unqualified candidate who wasn't brought in on merit.