Lakers News: LA Fans Weren't Only People Stunned by Darvin Ham Coaching Gaffe

Everyone was apparently quite apoplectic.

Apr 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham. / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Now-former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham lost his locker room midway through the season as he struggled to piece together a proper starting lineup, even though the right one was staring him in the face all along.

A source tellsAnthony Irwin of Lakers Dailythat the team ultimately took umbrage with its former coach for good once a scrambling Ham decided to start a defense-first starting lineup comprising Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Jarred Vanderbilt, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

L.A. eventually finished its season starting D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, James, Rui Hachimura and Davis, striking a far better balance of offense and defense in a deep Western Conference.

“It made no sense,” the source told Irwin. “[Ham] was clearly fighting for his life out there but just kept ignoring the thing everyone knew could (and eventually would) turn the season around. Guys started really tuning him out right then and there. And once you lose the locker room like that, you can’t get it back.”

Irwin adds that L.A. players were apparently aggrieved by Ham frequently blaming them, and not taking responsibility himself, when his lineups failed or the team would go on a losing streak. By the end of the year, Ham had burned through any lingering player good will.

"You can lack some communication skills if you’re great with X’s and O’s,” a West assistant coach told Irwin. “You can make up for some strategic issues if you’re a great communicator. You can’t be bad at both, and he was pretty clearly struggling on both fronts.”

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