Darvin Ham, the former Lakers head coach, spoke to the press recently ahead of their game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Ham, now an assistant coach on the Bucks, noted that he helped the team improve greatly from when he took over, to when he was let go from the position. While Ham harbors no ill will toward the team, he does think he deserves more credit.
“The state of the team when they hired me, up until the day they fired me, I like to think it improved. And that’s all I care about. I poured myself, my heart and soul, into that team trying to improve it from where it was — 33-49. And to get to the Western Conference finals in one year, have guys benefit from it financially.”
“To have that excitement going into that next year, get derailed by injuries, still manage to win the in-season tournament, and get to the playoffs, I thank God every day. Again, I’m completely grateful. I wish that franchise nothing but the best.”
“I’m not mean or angry or bitter about anything. Some people have certain opinions and those are opinions, but if you really look at the facts, there’s not much for me personally I have to say. So, that’s it.”
To be fair to Ham, there is some truth to what he is saying. Ham took over as head coach of the Lakers in 2022, after the franchise dismissed Frank Vogel. And while they struggled for much of the season, they turned things around after the All-Star break, when they traded Russell Westbrook, and brought in D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt.
Ham helped the Lakers secure the best record in the NBA post-All-Star game and coached them all the way to the Western Conference Finals in 2023. But they were unceremoniously swept by the Nuggets, who went on to defeat the Miami Heat to win the NBA championship.
The following year, Ham’s coaching weaknesses were on full display, as the Lakers barely secured a play-in spot. They would make the playoffs, but get soundly beaten by the Nuggets again, this time in a 4-1 rout in the first round. Ham was then let go in the aftermath of the series loss.
During Ham’s tenure with the Lakers, they had a record of 90-74 in the regular season, and 9-12 in the NBA playoffs.
Doc Rivers Defends Darvin Ham
Doc Rivers also came to the aid of his new assistant coach, claiming that the Lakers were in the wrong for firing Ham just a year after he took them to the Western Conference Finals. Perhaps Rivers is even more annoyed at who the Lakers’ hired to replace Ham.
The Lakers hired Rivers’ former player turned vocal critic, JJ Redick as the new head coach. Redick, who has no experience at all as a coach at any level, has still garnered a lot of positive reactions from fans and the players.
Redick would get the better of Rivers and Ham last night, as the Lakers defeated the Bucks 107-102. Much like Redick criticized him for previously, Rivers’ team blew a comfortable 15-point lead to lose the game.
Redick himself addressed the issues he and Rivers have had in the past before the game, noting that he doesn’t hold on to any animosity that he and Rivers may have shared in the past, and added that his scathing criticism of Rivers last year on ESPN was ill-timed and poorly expressed.
It appears that all parties just want to move on from the past. But the dynamics between the coaching staffs of the Lakers and the Bucks have now made their two games in March a must-see.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
