Category: Darvin Ham

Lakers Firing Coach Darvin Ham Led to NBA Fans Posting Endless Memes
3 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Lakers Firing Coach Darvin Ham Led to NBA Fans Posting Endless Memes

The Los Angeles Lakers officially will begin their search for a new head coach after parting ways with Darvin Ham on Friday after two seasons.

Ham, who reportedly had two years remaining on his contract, led the Lakers to a 90–74 record over two seasons and guided the team to the Western Conference finals last year.

However, Ham was often criticized by Lakers fans throughout his tenure for constantly tinkering with starting lineups and rotations amid the team's shortcomings. Los Angeles fell well short of competing for an NBA title this season, finishing with the Western Conference's seventh-bet record and losing to the Denver Nuggets in the first round.

It was no surprise, then, when Ham's dismissal resulted in an avalanche of reactions and memes posted to social media:

The Lakers reportedly will target Mike Budenholzer, Kenny Atkinson, JJ Redick and—if he becomes available—Ty Lue, among others, to fill their coaching vacancy.

Darvin Ham, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA
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How Darvin Ham Stacks Up in Lakers' Coaching History
3 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

How Darvin Ham Stacks Up in Lakers’ Coaching History

The Los Angeles Lakers fired coach Darvin Ham on Friday. The decision comes three days after the franchise was eliminated in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs by the defending champion Denver Nuggets.

While it is no great shame to lose to Nikola Jokić and a very good Nuggets team, Ham was on the hot seat all season long due to some questionable coaching decisions, especially in regards to the starting lineup. Paired with the sky-high expectations that come with coaching a LeBron James-led outfit, the change is not entirely shocking.

The Lakers will now begin the search for the 29th head coach in franchise history. Before looking ahead, however, it is important to look back and contextualize Ham's tenure at the helm. How does he stack up to his counterparts throughout franchise history?

Lakers' Coaching History

With his dismissal on Friday, Ham will officially finish his Lakers career boasting a regular season record of 90–74. His 90 wins put him 14th all-time in franchise history, more than Mike D'Antoni but fewer than Joe Mullaney. The all-time leader in Lakers history is— you guessed it— Phil Jackson, who recorded 610 victories in his dominant years with the franchise.

Ham's 164 games coached from the bench puts him in a five-way tie for 10th in Lakers franchise history. The other coaches with 164 games exactly under their belt are the aforementioned Mullaney, Butch van Breda Kolff, Mike Dunleavy Sr., and Byron Scott. For fans of HBO's Winning Time, Paul Westhead is next on the list with 161 games coached. The all-time leader for the organization in this category is, once again, Jackson with 902 games coached.

In terms of winning percentage, Ham will finish his time in Los Angeles clocking in at .549. That ranks 19th all-time in Lakers history, ahead of Randy Pfund (.452) and behind Rudy Tomjanovich (.558). Technically speaking, the franchise leader in winning percentage is Bernie Bickerstaff, who went 4–1 back in 2013 and thus owns an even .800 winning percentage. However, among coaches with more than 10 games coached, Pat Riley leads with .733.

Ham's playoff record is not quite as flattering in the light of the giants who came before him, although he did avoid the ignominy of becoming the 11th coach in Lakers history to not coach a single playoff game. His 21 postseason appearances are good for 12th all-time, but his 9–12 record (a winning percentage of .429) slots him 13th. Jackson leads all Lakers coaches with 118 playoff wins but Riley won at a better clip, posting a winning percentage of .685 during his tenure.

As the numbers suggest, Ham had a fine run as head coach of the Lakers. It was not drenched in glory but it also wasn't drenched in failure. A decidedly average tenure, and one that came to an end on Friday.

Darvin Ham, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA
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Darvin Ham's Contract With Lakers Had Multiple Years Left
3 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Darvin Ham’s Contract With Lakers Had Multiple Years Left

The Los Angeles Lakers will be led by the eighth different coach since 2010-11 next year, as the team fired Darvin Ham on Friday.

Ham led the Lakers through troubled waters to start the year to qualify for the NBA Play-In Tournament only to ultimately lose to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the postseason.

Earlier in the year, the Lakers won the inaugural In-Season Tournament, but the Lakers went 3–10 in the games following that victory.

The Lakers under Ham made it to the Western Conference finals in his debut season with the team in 2022-23.

Ham, for his part, will get his paychecks from the Lakers for the foreseeable future even if his team facilities badge is denied access.

Ham was fired with two full years left on his contract. He signed a four-year deal at $5 million per year according to The Athletic, and the team will "assume" that, according to the report.

The now-former Lakers head coach's contract was on the smaller side of NBA coaches. Steve Kerr gets $17.5 million annually, Gregg Popovich earns a $16 million salary, and Erik Spoelstra is paid $15 million. It's unclear if the relative bargain Los Angeles had Ham played into their decision to move on and hire a new leader.

Ham is now free to pursue other opportunities in the coaching ranks, whether that be at the head coaching or assistant ranks, a capacity in which he worked for several seasons before being hired by the Lakers.

Darvin Ham, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA
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Lakers Dismiss Coach Darvin Ham After Two Seasons, per Report
3 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Lakers Dismiss Coach Darvin Ham After Two Seasons, per Report

The Los Angeles Lakers have dismissed coach Darvin Ham after two seasons, according to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Lakers brass made the decision to fire Ham after Los Angeles lost its playoff series to the Denver Nuggets for the second consecutive postseason. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka informed Ham of the franchise's decision to fire him on Friday afternoon via phone call, according to Wojnarowski.

A report that circulated on Thursday indicated that ESPN NBA analyst JJ Redick, as well as Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue would both be in consideration for the job. Both individuals have interesting ties to Lakers star LeBron James. Redick just started a podcast with James called Mind the Game, which is dedicated to the strategy of professional basketball, while Lue coached the Cleveland Cavaliers when James and the franchise won an NBA title in the 2015-16 season.

Ham went 90-74 in his two seasons leading the Lakers, which included a Western Conference finals berth last season, as well as an NBA Cup in the inaugural in-season tournament this season.

Darvin Ham, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers
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JJ Redick, Ty Lue Candidates to Land Lakers Job If Darvin Ham Is Fired, per Report
3 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

JJ Redick, Ty Lue Candidates to Land Lakers Job If Darvin Ham Is Fired, per Report

The Los Angeles Lakers could part ways with coach Darvin Ham this offseason after the team's first-round exit at the hands of the reigning champion Denver Nuggets, who have now bounced Los Angeles from the playoffs in two straight seasons.

Although it's not yet been made official, Ham's exit has been widely speculated upon, and some names have already been floated as possible replacements for the Lakers' potential vacancy.

Among those who are considered "real candidates" include both Tyronn Lue and JJ Redick, according to ESPN's Lakers reporter Dave McMenamin.

"JJ [Redick] certainly is a real candidate if they do open up this coaching search," McMenamin said Thursday during an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show. "There's, I'd say, half a dozen folks out there, including possibly the guy who just lost last night against the Mavericks, Tyronn Lue ... that there will be a process there that there are several viable candidates that will get an interview."

McMenamin noted that Ham had not yet met with the Los Angeles front office regarding his future, so there's still no guarantee that he won't be brought back for the 2024-25 season.

Redick, of course, recently started a podcast with Lakers superstar LeBron James dubbed Mind the Game, where the pair break down the X's and O's of basketball together.

It's clear that James holds him in high regard, so if a vacancy does open up, it stands to reason that Redick, who has reportedly interviewed for the Charlotte Hornets' vacancy, would be a realistic Lakers candidate.

Darvin Ham, JJ Redick, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, Tyronn Lue
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Darvin Ham Blasts Unnamed Lakers Starter in NSFW Reflection on Season
30 Apr 24 Jimm Sallivan

Darvin Ham Blasts Unnamed Lakers Starter in NSFW Reflection on Season

The Los Angeles Lakers were bounced from the opening round of the 2024 NBA playoffs Monday night, and reflections on a disappointing season have already begun. After suffering a 4–1 gentleman's sweep against the Denver Nuggets, coach Darvin Ham appeared to criticize an unnamed starter.

In an article published Tuesday, ESPN's Dave McMenamin quoted Ham discussing the difficulties of of the 2023-24 season. He did not hold back discussing the shortcomings of an unnamed player on his roster.

"It's been extremely challenging. Everyone that's been in and out of the lineup," Ham said to McMenamin. "Being criticized for not having a consistent rotation when I don't have consistent healthy bodies. The thing that frustrates me, and I love this job, I love the pressure that comes with it, I've always been calm in the midst of chaos ... [But] common sense tends to go out the window when you talk about my job in particular."

Ham continued, "It's amazing how people just skip that core part of having a consistency with your lineup is all predicated on health and performance. If you're coaching a team and one of your starters is like 10 games in a row, just s---ting the bed, what are you going to do?"

It's not clear if Ham is talking about one of his players or throwing out a hypothetical, but it's pretty easy to assume it's the former. The question is which starter could he be referring to? There are really three options.

Ham benched Austin Reaves for a long stretch after the guard began the season slowly. While Reaves played in all 82 regular-season games, he only started 57 of them. Ham also sent Taurean Prince to the bench for a long stretch after he opened the season as a starter. The third option would be D'Angelo Russell, who had his characteristic up-and-down season with some tremendous highs and depressing lows.

Ham appears to be opening up like a guy who knows his time is limited. The Lakers don't have time to wait around for their coach to figure it out. LeBron James is nearing the end of his incredible career, Anthony Davis isn't getting any younger and the team spent money to put pieces in place around them last offseason.

The season was a roller coaster from the start. The Lakers finished 47–35, besting their record from Ham's first season in charge (43–39), and they won the inaugural NBA in-season tournament. But after reaching the Western Conference finals in 2023, they bowed out quickly in 2024. There doesn't seem to have been much improvement across the board. Whether that's on Ham or not is left for owner Jeanie Buss to decide.

It will be fascinating to see how things shake out in Los Angeles, but Ham isn't going down without having his say.

Darvin Ham, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA
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