Byron Scott: Lakers should hire LeBron as next head coach

Former Los Angeles Lakers guard and head coach Byron Scott doesn't think the team needs to look far to find its next bench boss.

During an appearance on FS1's "Undisputed" on Wednesday, Scott suggested the Lakers hire LeBron James as their head coach.

"My recommendation: The next Lakers coach - and out of the eight or nine names that I've heard, his name wasn't on there - is make LeBron the coach," Scott said.

Scott and host Skip Bayless went on to float the idea of James serving as a player-coach, like Hall of Famer Bill Russell did with the Boston Celtics from 1966-69.

"Listen, I got nothing but love and respect for LeBron, I love him, I think he's one of the greatest players that ever played this game. But it's obvious to me, at least, that he's making a lot of decisions that's going on in this organization from a coaching standpoint to a player standpoint. So if you're going to allow him to make those decisions, alright, sit on the bench and make those decisions as well. Be the head coach ... be player-head coach. Go back to the Bill Russell days."

The Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham following the team's first-round playoff exit. Ham coached the team for the past two seasons, going 90-74 in the regular season and 9-12 in the playoffs.

The 39-year-old James has one year remaining on his current Lakers contract, but it contains a $51.4-million player option. He has until June 29 to opt in and stay with the Lakers or become an unrestricted free agent.