LeBron James Doesn’t Think Mike Brown Got a ‘Fair Shake’

While the Lakers scramble to find a new head coach, some are still questioning why they fired Mike Brown just five games into the season—including LeBron James, who played under Brown in Cleveland. ESPN reports the Miami superstar doesn’t believe Brown should’ve been let go: “As the Los Angeles Lakers move forward in a high-profile search for their next coach, count LeBron James among those who took exception to how matters went down with Mike Brown. James doesn’t believe his former coach in Cleveland ever got a ‘fair shake’ in Los Angeles and was stunned when he learned Brown was fired by the Lakers on Friday after their 1-4 start to the season. James played five years for Brown with the Cavaliers before Brown was fired by Cleveland after the 2009-10 season, just weeks before James departed in free agency to sign with Miami. ‘I think it’s unfortunate,’ James said Friday after the Heat’s win in Atlanta against the Hawks. ‘I just don’t think he got a fair shake, honestly. With the shortened season last year, and five games into this year, he didn’t really get a full season.’ Brown was hired by the Lakers before the NBA lockout last season, which condensed the regular-season schedule to 66 games. The Lakers were eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals by Oklahoma City, who eventually lost to Miami in the NBA Finals to give James the championship he never won with Brown in Cleveland.”