LeBron James Jokes Pouring In After Dan Hurley's Decision On Lakers Job

It didn't take long for Twitter to turn on LeBron James following the Los Angeles Lakers' failed contract offer to UConn men's basketball coach Dan Hurley.

Not even an offer that would have made Hurley one of the six highest-paid coaches in the NBA was enough to convince him to join the Lakers.

On Monday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Hurley turned down a six-year, $70 million contract offer from the Lakers. Following the news, NBA fans didn't waste time shifting the blame to Lakers star forward LeBron James.

Some believe James' star status and overall influence might have impacted Hurley's decision. However, there is no proof that anything related to James had anything to do with how the contract situation unfolded.

But that hasn't stopped the masses from speculating.

One fan claimed they weren't surprised by Hurley's decision.

Another fan pointed out the risks involved for the UConn coach in leaving for Los Angeles.

One fan went as far as calling James a "headache" to coach, and he didn't believe Hurley was ever leaving UConn.

Another fan poked fun at the idea that Hurley would even take the job offer seriously.

One fan believes Hurley's decision will actually motivate the UConn basketball team. It's not every day a coach chooses a group of college kids over coaching a future Hall of Famer with one of the greatest NBA franchises.

With Hurley out of the picture, the Lakers will redirect their coaching search. There was an initial report from The Athletic's Shams Charania that the Lakers were zeroing in on ESPN commentator JJ Redick as their next head coach.

Perhaps that's something the team might consider revisiting after this latest news.

The Lakers' job won't come without its challenges. James is obviously an aging star, and Anthony Davis has struggled to stay healthy. Those are two significant hurdles to leap in a Western Conference division that's as competitive as it has ever been.