"He's a leader!" - Mike Budenholzer raves about his former assistant Darvin Ham

Ham was under coach Bud for years, but the new Lakers head coach beat his teacher the other day.

The Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers went head-to-head for the first time this season the other night, and it turned out to be a thriller.

This was also the first time former Bucks assistant and new Lakers head coach Darvin Ham had a chance to visit Milwaukee with his new team -- the Lakers were able to come up with a 133-129 victory over the Bucks. After the game, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer raved about his former assistant.

Budenholzer calls Ham a great leader

Ham and Budenholzer worked together for nine years, and Coach Bud served as a long-term mentor for the Lakers' head coach. Darvin was also a part of Budenholzer's coaching staff during his time with the Atlanta Hawks. The two won a title together with the Bucks in 2021, and Budenholzer had huge words of praise for his former assistant.

“[Darvin’s] a leader. Even as an assistant here, a great leader. He has an unbelievable combination of toughness and grit. Nobody wants to be on the wrong side of Darvin. At the same time, he's incredibly caring and thoughtful," Budenholzer explained.

Ham's time to shine

Ham wasn't put into an easy situation, given the keys of a dysfunctional Lakers team. Although he has big names like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook, finding the system and style of play that will make the Lakers relevant once again is no easy feat.

But after a rough start to the season, it seems things are finally starting to click, as LA has won 8 out of their last 10 games to improve to 10-12 on the year after being one of the worst teams in the NBA to start the season.

Ham has pulled a couple of aces out of his sleeve, like using Westbrook as a 6th man, finally unlocking AD's potential, and using a couple of new young guys like Lonnie Walker IV and Austin Reaves, all while getting the trust of his team. It's nice to see the former Bucks assistant thrive in the new role and show that he has taken Bud's mentorship well in his own coaching path.