The Los Angeles Lakers spent a few weeks searching for their next Head Coach after they parted ways with Frank Vogel. With a lot of big names mentioned, the job eventually went to Darvin Ham, who won a championship alongside Mike Budenholzer as a part of the Milwaukee Bucks coaching staff in 2021.
With Ham signed, the next step was to build a staff around him that could help him revitalize a roster that struggled massively last season. And one of the first additions on that front has been Rasheed Wallace, the fiery former NBA All-Star, who was on the 2004 championship-winning Detroit Pistons with Ham.
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1533837480780349447
“Sources: Four-time NBA All-Star Rasheed Wallace has agreed on a deal to be an assistant coach for the Lakers under new head coach Darvin Ham. Both were teammates in Detroit and part of the 2004 title team. Memphis‘ Penny Hardaway hinted today Wallace may join Ham in LA.”
The announcement from Charania came hot on the heels of Penny Hardaway’s hint earlier in the day, where the former NBA player revealed that Wallace was always planning to be a part of Ham’s staff whenever he got the job (via CBS Sports):
“I think Rasheed might be going to LA with Darvin Ham. That was the deal from the beginning. If Darvin had gotten a job last year, Rasheed had already promised him that he was going to go with him. So, I’m thinking this year, with him getting the Lakers job, [Wallace] might still be going along with that process.”
Wallace is one of the most well-loved players the NBA has seen, a tough customer on both ends of the court, and has an extremely passionate personality, something that often landed him in trouble with the referees. Wallace will be an excellent addition to the staff, as he is likely someone that the players will respect and he brings some coaching experience as well, having been an assistant in Detroit and at the University of Memphis.
