Image Source: New York Post
When the Los Angeles Lakers finally found their head coach, it turned out that he was someone who had been speculated as a candidate from day one. So Darvin Ham is now in charge of steering this ship and will need to do so with care because there are high hopes for him.
Since Frank Vogel was relieved of his duties, the Los Angeles Lakers have been looking for a new head coach. They’ve had plenty of candidates in mind, but one that seemed to always make the cut is Darvin Ham – who finally became their man after an arduous process following many other names being linked with taking over, pending on whether or not they were still interested by this point during free agency.
Ham has been a beloved assistant coach for years, but it was only when he received the approval of Klutch Sports and Lebron James that his feelings towards Darvin shifted. So when LA Lakers owner Jeanie Buss finally met with Ham to discuss possible employment opportunities in Laker Land, they both knew what each other wanted: A chance at success together.
For nine consecutive seasons, Darvin Ham has been a part of the coaching staff, spending six as an assistant and three working with the Lakers in player development. He is finally returning to Los Angeles after a few years away from the city. He served under Mike Brown at Lakers HQ before moving on to other locations like Atlanta and Milwaukee.
The Lakers are taking a risk by hiring an unproven first-year head coach with a roster that will be built to win. There is precedent for this decision to pay off, as Ime Udoka was also in his first year leading the Boston Celtics into deep playoff contention. Willie Green skidded New Orleans straight through to make it past round one this year. They hope Ham can lead LA back to the top again with their work behind them.
The 2020 season was a major disappointment for the Los Angeles Lakers as they finished with 33 wins and 49 losses. To rebuild from this poor performance, new Head Coach Darvin Ham must take on both challenges–rebuilding defense while also shifting players around so that chemistry can improve among all starters at once.
