NBA Rumors: LeBron James Will Keep Doc Rivers Away From Lakers

Earlier this week, word came out that the Los Angeles Lakers could make a go at Doc Rivers, the current Los Angeles Clippers head coach. The 57-year-old NBA coach was mentioned to be previously interested in coaching their crosstown rival but it seems one player will keep him from making the jump - LeBron James.

According to ESPN's PTI, Rivers taking over from Luke Walton as Lakers head coach may not happen because James is at the point of his NBA career where he does not want to be coached. To sum it all up, such a move would be a death wish of sorts for the one-time NBA champion coach.

The pitch does make a bit of sense even if Rivers has experience being able to get a bunch of superstars on the same page. He did it with the Boston Celtics with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, something that rewarded him with the 2008 NBA title.

As for managing LeBron James, the scenario is different. For one, James can boast that he has more titles than Rivers, plus plenty of more achievements on his end. Debates are likely to crop up and one can only imagine the stress that Rivers will get from within the team and pundits should both end up in one team.

Other than that, there is no sufficient reason for Rivers to leave the Clippers right now. Even with Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan out of the fold, the Clips have managed to quietly make it to the playoffs with the new breed of Clippers. That alone speaks well on how Rivers can whip up any team with the right talent and without NBA superstars.

Rivers had already shot down rumors linking him to the Los Angeles Lakers, NBA.com reported. Regardless, this not expected to end speculations of him possibly taking over from Walton.

Walton, on the other hand, remains mum on the issue. There is no telling what the future holds for him although several teams have expressed interest in taking him in if he does get fired. The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns are at the front of the pack, meaning the 38-year-old is not expected to be jobless after the 2018-19 NBA season.

Finally, Walton could be the yardstick for Rivers. Will Doc be willing to risk it all and take the chance to coach James in Hollywood? The answer to that remains to be seen.