LeBron James praises Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault

LeBron James praises Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault.

For the second straight week, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James praised the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In a teaser for the second episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast, James talked highly of Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault with co-host JJ Redick.

Redick asked James if he had spent time with Daigneault, which he said he hasn’t but that didn’t stop the future Hall-of-Famer from recognizing how special of an upcoming head coach he is.

“He’s on his s–t,” James said. “He’s young, too.”

This comes a week after James spoke highly of the Thunder’s ability to draft, mentioning how he’ll want a talented front office with an eye to scout if his aspirations of being an NBA owner materialize in his post-playing career.

“I tell you what, when I get my (NBA) team, the teams that draft well, those guys will be working for me for sure,” James said. “OKC does an unbelievable job.”

The Thunder were a constant title threat in the 2010s due to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook being homegrown superstars. It looks like another lengthy window of contention has opened for OKC with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.

Daigneault has grown with this current core. After being hired in 2020, the 39-year-old has blossomed into one of the best coaches in the league and has a real shot at winning Coach of the Year this season.

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