The Los Angeles Lakers' extensive search for a new head coach is now over. According to multiple reports, the team has hired Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham to a four-year deal, and he'll become the 15th Black coach currently in the NBA, the most ever at one time. Ham, who turns 49 this July, spent more than a decade as an assistant (2011-2022), and was one of three finalists for the Lakers' position.
Ham, known for his effective player development and communication skills, will be tasked with remodeling a roster that grossly underachieved this past season. With clear championship-or-bust expectations, the Lakers finished 11th in the Western Conference with a mediocre 33-49 record, and failed to even qualify for a play-in tournament game. It was also just the second time since 2005 that superstar LeBron James missed out on postseason action.
"When it comes to Darvin Ham, he's like a Transformer. And there's more than meets the eye," NBC Sports L.A. reporter Michael Duarte told After Hours with Amy Lawrence on Tuesday. "He never wanted to be a coach. And it was Avery Johnson who got him into coaching [in 2007] and decided to give him a shot. And he's been running with it ever since. What I can tell you from speaking to players who know Ham well, they're really excited that he's a players' coach...
"He's somebody who players respect, and he knows how to communicate to players on a level that can get the most out of them. Now, with that said, as a person covering this team, I knew, at some point, he'd have an opportunity to be a head coach. But I'm not sure if, with the Lakers' roster, and knowing they really wanted to hire a coach who can try to get the most out of Westbrook if he stays with the team, I'm not sure if Ham was the right choice..."
In a year chock-full of injuries and poor roster management, James ironically produced one of his most impressive seasons. In 56 games, the 37-year-old averaged a team-high 30.3 points -- his highest mark since 2009-10 -- along with 8.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.3 steals over 37.2 minutes. But, carrying Los Angeles wasn't a one-man job. It was the first time that a James-led team ever played 16-plus games below the .500 mark.
It's unclear whether the franchise will begin the 2022-23 season with James partnered with both Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. Phil Jackson, the legendary coach who guided the Lakers to five championships in the 2000s, reportedly told team owner Jeanie Buss that he'd prefer to see James traded this summer, and Westbrook remain on the roster. James has one year left on his contract, set to earn $44 million.
The entire conversation between Duarte and Lawrence can be accessed in the audio player above.
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