Report: Lakers Hire Darvin Ham as Head Coach
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When the Phoenix Suns battle the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James and company will do so under new leadership.
Less than two months after firing coach Frank Vogel after a massively disappointing 33-49 finish to the regular season, the Lakers have reportedly found their new head man in Darvin Ham.
Ham played eight seasons in the NBA before eventually stepping into an assistant coaching role in 2011 with the Lakers. He also held a similar role in Atlanta and previously Milwaukee before accepting his first position as head coach with Los Angeles.
As a player, he won the NBA Finals with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. As an assistant coach, he helped defeat the Suns last year in the playoffs with the Bucks for another ring.
One league executive told Yahoo! Sports, "“If you look around the league now, the coaches who are having successes — Steve Kerr, Monty Williams, Willie Green — [not only have] excellent knowledge but an ability to connect and hold [players] accountable. He [Ham] has a personable blend of that. A strong individual. He can garner respect from his players. I like it.”
With a roster possessing LeBron, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis, the onus now falls on Ham to again propel the Lakers to the NBA Finals, much like they achieved just two seasons ago.
Fun fact: Ham is now the third former opponent James will be coached by, as Ty Lue and Luke Walton also previously took the court against LeBron before leading him on the sideline.
The Pacific Division continues to be competitive, with the Golden State Warriors fighting for another championship and the Suns nearly reaching a title in back-to-back years.
The Lakers hope to again insert themselves in the conversation beginning in the 2022-23 season.
The Suns swept the Lakers during the regular season, scoring at least 108 points in all four meetings.
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