LeBron James’ ‘Maybe It’s Me’ Post Resurfaced by NBA Fans After Hurley Rejects Lakers

One of LeBron James’ old social media posts came up again on Monday after UConn’s Dan Hurley turned down a six-year contract from the Los Angeles Lakers to take over as the team’s head coach.

In February 2023, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer posted a cryptic message after former teammate Kyrie Irving was traded by the Brooklyn Nets to the Dallas Mavericks instead of the Lakers. Fans brought up the old post as the Lakers missed out on another high-profile acquisition.

It appeared that the interest between James and Irving reuniting in 2023 was mutual, as the point guard told Fox Sports’ Melissa Rohlin in May that “everything was considered” when asked if he thought about joining forces with his old Cleveland Cavaliers teammate at the time.

While the Lakers were able to make a few savvy trades ahead of the 2023 deadline that helped them to secure a trip to the Western Conference Finals, the Irving acquisition by Dallas is continuing to pay dividends. He’s thrived as a secondary option alongside Luka Dončić, helping the Mavericks reach the 2024 NBA Finals.

Although James and Hurley don’t have as much of a shared history compared to Irving, it’s clear that the four-time MVP supported the potential hire. Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that the 39-year-old was “impressed” with Hurley’s “sophisticated offensive actions.”

James has also publicly expressed his admiration for the Huskies coach on X.

Hurley has helped the Huskies blossom into one of college basketball’s modern dynasties since he took over ahead of the 2018-19 season. In addition to his consecutive national titles, UConn has accumulated a 141-58 overall record throughout his tenure with the program.

As for the Lakers, they’ll now turn elsewhere after Hurley’s decision to stay put. Wojnarowski listed New Orleans Pelicans associate coach James Borrego and ESPN analyst JJ Redick as potential candidates, although Redick has yet to complete a formal interview with the organization.