"He would literally force LeBron into retirement" - Lakers linked to Doc Rivers amid Darvin Ham catching flak has NBA fans buzzing

The LA Lakers have struggled in the wake of their inaugural NBA Cup win earlier this season. Despite impressive play from LeBron James early on in the season, they have struggled since then. They ended 2023 on a two-game skid, losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves and the New Orleans Pelicans.

On Wednesday, the Lakers extended their losing streak to three, when they dropped a home game to the Miami Heat 110-96. The Lakers are just 2-8 in their last 10 games.

With a 17-18 record, they sit in 10th place in the Western Conference, 1.5 games behind the Phoenix Suns in ninth and 1.5 games behind the Houston Rockets in eighth.

With the team struggling, coach Darvin Ham has been under fire, and there has been speculation that veteran coach Doc Rivers could step in. Rivers last coached the Philadelphia 76ers from 2020-2023 before they replaced him in the offseason.

While there were questions of whether or not parting ways with Rivers would entice James Harden to stay, that wasn't the case in Philadelphia. Since then, the 2000 NBA Coach of the Year has worked in a media role.

Following the Lakers' latest loss, the jokes have continued to fly, with one tweeting about what Rivers could do with LeBron if he were to arrive in LA:

"He would literally force LeBron into retirement"

Here's a look at the top reactions on X:

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Looking at Darvin Ham and the LA Lakers' struggles since their NBA Cup win

Early this season, the LA Lakers appeared to be on the right track. After going undefeated during the group play round of the inaugural NBA Cup, they embarked on an impressive run that saw them make NBA history.

James, who turned back the clock and left everyone in awe, had a season-low 12 points, which included going 0-for-6 from the 3-point range, on Wednesday against Miami. That's despite shooting a career-high 40.9% from distance entering the game (down to 39.5%, which still ranks as the second-best percentage of his career

Amid lineup changes, the Lakers have not only struggled but have also seen a disconnect between Darvin Ham and the team. As third-year guard Austin Reaves explained following the latest loss, the vibe in the locker room amid their struggles isn't a good one.

"Anytime you lose, the vibe should be off," said Reaves. "If I went in there, and the vibe wasn't off after the rough stretch that we've had, then I'd be concerned."

Eight-time All-Star forward Anthony Davis also addressed two major concerns in their recent loss: a lack of efficient 3-point shooting and a heap of turnovers. As he indicated postgame, the team needs to figure things out quickly.

"It's a little bit of everything right now," said Davis. "If we keep on this trend, it's not going to be good for us. So it's kind of obvious that we gotta figure it out sooner than later."

Whether the Lakers end up parting ways with Darvin Ham and bring Doc Rivers out of the broadcasting booth, only time will tell.