The Los Angeles Lakers have found their new head coach. Finalists for the vacancy were known to be Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham, Golden State assistant Kenny Atkins, and former Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts.
Well, the Lakers’ choice is Ham, as first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday night. It’s a four-year deal for Ham, who interviewed for the job on Thursday.
The Lakers have hired Darvin Ham as coach, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 28, 2022
According to Wojnarowski, the Lakers were drawn to Ham because of his “championship pedigree, his commanding presence, history of coaching stars and toughness.”
Wojnarowski adds that Ham’s staff is “expected to include head coaching experience.”
Ham made a strong impression on Lakers in several areas, including his championship pedigree, his commanding presence, history of coaching stars and toughness. Ham will start assembling a staff expected to include head coaching experience. https://t.co/8hCVatbraw
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 28, 2022
Ham, 48, has been a key assistant coach for Mike Budenholzer and the Bucks since 2018, including their game 2020-21 NBA championship season. He actually began his NBA assistant coaching career with the Lakers from 2011-13 before becoming an assistant with the Atlanta Hawks under Budenholzer’s staff from 2013-18.
He also had an eight-year playing career in the NBA, which featured a championship with the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons.
While Ham was briefly a head coach for the G League’s New Mexico (2010-11), he’s never been a head coach in the NBA, so makes all the sense in the world that he’d want to add former head coaches to his staff. That’s particularly important in this Lakers situation, featuring big-name veterans such as LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook (at least for now).
The Lakers were a monumental disappointment in the 2021-22 NBA season, missing the playoffs at 33-49 after being viewed as a title contender entering the season. James and Davis missed many games due to injuries, and the Westbrook experiment was a disaster.
Frank Vogel was fired as Lakers head coach on April 11, despite winning a title in the 2019-20 season.
Here’s a sampling of the reaction to the Lakers’ decision to hire Ham:
So damn EXCITED!!!!!!!! Congrats and welcome Coach DHam!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 #LakeShow💜💛
— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 28, 2022
Darvin Ham guarding 19-year-old LeBron James, November 24, 2004 pic.twitter.com/AxLrgxw6ON
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 28, 2022
Darvin Ham played AGAINST LeBron James 4 times in his career, going 2-2 across the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons https://t.co/5nAoLwBJOc
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 28, 2022
Fun fact: New Lakers coach Darvin Ham once shattered a backboard pic.twitter.com/THrfsuzEft
— Overtime (@overtime) May 28, 2022
Darvin Ham gets to pick his own staff? Lakers trying to be a serious franchise?
— Ry (@JustRyCole) May 28, 2022
Pray for Darvin Ham because it only goes one or two ways with a LeBron team. Either he is going to win a title or be thrown to the wolves. Sometimes both happen in a short period of time lol.
— Robert Littal BSO (@BSO) May 28, 2022
Darvin Ham was a no-nonsense player & well-respected NBA assistant coach. It will be interesting to see if he’s allowed to coach the Lakers the way he wants https://t.co/UsVdzSgJP2
— Mark Schanowski (@MarkSchanowski) May 28, 2022
Darvin Ham is now the Lakers' third-youngest player.
— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) May 28, 2022
