JUNE 3: The Lakers have officially hired Ham as their head coach, the team announced today in a press release.
“When someone begins his NBA coaching career at the G League level and goes all the way through playing an integral role on the front bench of an NBA Championship team, it really speaks to a certain strength of character,” Lakers head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “Our players and fans will immediately identify with Darvin’s no-nonsense and hard-working approach, which we feel will bring toughness and a competitive edge to all we do.
“When you add that to Darvin’s sophisticated grasp of in-game strategy and deep knowledge of the game of basketball, we have the ideal coach for this next chapter in Lakers history. We could not be more honored and proud to name Darvin Ham as our new head coach.”
MAY 27: The Lakers are hiring Bucks assistant Darvin Ham to be their new head coach, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
The first-time head coach will receive a four-year contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
According to Wojnarowski, Ham interviewed for the vacancy on Thursday and was offered the job on Friday. He impressed the Lakers’ brass with his “commanding presence, history of coaching stars and toughness.” Ham’s coaching staff is likely to include assistants with prior head coaching experience, Woj adds (Twitter links).
Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported a week ago that Ham was considered the leading candidate for the position. He’ll replace Frank Vogel, who was fired at the end of the team’s disappointing season.
Ham started his NBA career as a player, appearing in 417 games from 1996-2005 and winning a championship as a bit player for the Pistons in 2004.
The 48-year-old has ties to the Lakers organization, as his first role as an NBA assistant coach came with L.A. from 2011-13. Ham has spent the last nine seasons working under head coach Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta and Milwaukee, winning a title with the Bucks last season.
Ham has received consideration from multiple teams with head coaching openings in recent years and interviewed with the Kings before they hired Mike Brown earlier this month. He was also said to be a “serious candidate” for the Hornets’ vacancy.
Lakers star LeBron James sent out a tweet expressing excitement and congratulating Ham on receiving the job.
Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts were the other finalists for L.A.’s vacancy. Both have reportedly interviewed for Charlotte’s lead job as well.
Although the Lakers won a title just two seasons ago, they’ve struggled since, having been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 2020/21 and finishing with a 33-49 record this past season, which was 11th in the West and outside of the play-in tournament. Injuries to James and Anthony Davis have certainly played a factor in the downturn, but Ham will have his hands full working with a top-heavy roster that includes Russell Westbrook, who struggled mightily in his first season in Los Angeles.
Lakers are likely to miss the playoffs next season
Ham won’t win 1 championship like Frank Vogel
The best option is
Trade away Westbrook first then they hire coach
No one wants Westbrook without also getting at least a first. They’re better off listening to Phil and trading Lebron.
He’s leaving eventually unless they force themselves to draft Bronny anyways; might as well start the rebuild. The King is still worth a lot and could jumpstart when their next competitive window starts. Way better than getting nothing for him when he walks.
Just waive the bum
I’m sure you said they weren’t going to win a title at all with LeBron originally
My condelences.
Steamed Hams
Rum Ham would’ve been much better #MissedOpportunity
You must be from Albany
I remember him as a player. Always came to play. Just didn’t get much run. 11 yrs as an assistant is a long time. I’d say he’s payed his dues. Wish him the best. He ain’t walking Into no easy gig, that’s for sure. I give him props for taking it on. Good Luck
Bad hire. Rookie coach with a bunch of often injured vets. He gets paid though so I applaud him!
He will need to be a multi dimensional coach. He’ll need to know how to deal with prima Donna’s and then how to lead a rebuild with no draft picks a couple of years later.
Or, all at the same time.
Without a substantial roster upgrade he’s in trouble. Westbrook is a success killer.
Watch the throne Dubs…. Lakers about to go HAM!!!!
It’s about time…. excellent coach who can deal with the Lakers’ egos and eccentricities
No one knows if he’ll be any good, but definitely not an exciting hire
As I watch him coach one of the last 3 teams still standing, Ime Udoka wasn’t an exciting hire either
Why? Not enough negative buzz around him or what?
Is he worse than Mark Jackson who hasn’t coached in years, or any of the Van Gundy brothers, who somehow manage to be more annoying every time they open their mouth?
As a Bucks fan, I’d gladly flip coach Bud for him, and throw in our TV announce team.
Who is an exciting hire? Someone who got fired from another team?
Glen rivers every time
Two words Phil Jackson
I take that back…you want mega exciting/appointment tv every night?…Bobby Knight!
Not an exciting hire? I watched this dude destroy a backboard at Texas Tech in the NCAA tournament. He played ferocious. Maybe he’ll do it in practice to inspire the bums he’s coaching.
Exciting maybe if, after nine years with Budenholzer, Ham leaves his players hung out to dry as he learned, and one of them is Lebron, who got him hired.
Great hire, a bit of a surprise coming from the Fakers organization
Did they call Ham and tell him he got the job or did he hear about it from the media?
Personal visit from the top management team…of Klutch Sports, and then they told the Lakers together.
Buwahahaha
Another Lebron yes man. Let’s see if this pans out…doubtful
He picked the right pair to be in a final 3 with. Stotts was too lax and a dufus. Atkinson was too myopic and uptight. Ham, by comparison, was just right, or at least he wasn’t either of them.
Let’s get to pork
If pork had wings it would be foul.
He’s not a championship level coach! Which is the case for almost every HC candidate available. It’s not a long list. I don’t see this roster winning but it’s not like the available coaches are the golden ticket.
That is what you call a botched hiring, real sad when you are the top franchise with 2 top 5 players in the league & all you can get is a coach like that… SMH!
Terrible hire for a team with championship asperations. I do think they finish better next year than this year record-wise but thats only because I believe AD will play about 15 more games then he did this year. Personally, I thought they should of hired D’Antoni. He has a prior relationship with Westbrook and commands respect from the lockerroom. The Lakers are getting Derek Fisher 2.0
LeBaby gets his way again. Suggestion: Change the name of the team to the Los Angeles LeBrons.
I know right? What a moron. LeBron James is so clueless about basketball.
Easy mute. Best of luck w your life.
I would have preferred Stotts since he’s an old, steady hand – he won’t rock the boat, his voice will be no louder than that of Lebron, AD and Russ.
Ham would have been best suited for a developing team e.g. KINGS, HORNETS, etc.
Two dudes are happy now – LeGM and Stephen A. Smith, who advocates that all NBA head coaches, assistant coaches, trainers should be black.
Yes, what those unruly African Americans need is an elderly white man who appreciates the rules and history of the game. A man who values tradition over being “woke”.
Easy mute, thanks!
Stotts proved he’s not a great head coach. Ham may surprise you about the importance of a head coach’s voice being louder than the players’ voices.
You missed the points completely – the fact that Stotts isn’t a great coach is his value for these LAKERS.
All Lebron & AD needs is a steady coach who’ll get along with everyone and who’ll defer to Lebron wherever and whenever necessary. Stotts isn’t a great coach, but he’s a decent and a steady one.
A team with a healthy Lebron and a healthy AD, add a few decent rotation guys who plays some semblance of defense – they will contend in the West, even if Kurt or Linda Rambis is head coach.
=========================
Of course a head coach should be the voice of the team – except when your team has a Lebron who’s still playing great, albeit on his last legs. It’s championship or bust every year you have a Lebron. no time for any in-season drama, like what Vogel allowed with Russ the whole season.
Stotts had Lillard, “face of the franchise” who the FO solicited input from.
Vogel “allowed” in-season drama with Westbrook? What was Vogel supposed to do with such a terrible fit and depleted roster, according to you?
Anyone who has been with Coach Bud as long as Ham will have experienced many good and bad decisions so has probably learned a lot. He has some talent and some challenges like every team. If he figures out the Westbrook Paradox then he will be considered a success.
Can we not run pictures of mask-wearers? The Darvin pic might as well just have a grocery bag over his head.
I guess he can just be the bald one.
He still has it on for the update. Google has nonmask pics. Not sure why this one is the go-to.
We don’t just get our images from Google — we have a specific image provider, to avoid rights-holder issues. Our provider doesn’t have any great recent shots of Ham, so it’s either a years-old one or a masked one.