NBA
The Lakers Say “Goodbye Darvin Ham” After Two Seasons Ham Has Been Fired By The Lakers
No amount of praying was going to save Darvin Ham's job. The decision to let Ham go comes days after the Lakers were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets for the second consecutive season
May 3, 2024
There is no surprise here: the Los Angeles Lakers have parted ways with coach Darvin Ham after two seasons. The team will now start the hunt for the perfect coach who can handle LeBron James correctly in the final chapter of his career and hopefully help the Lakers make a deep playoff run in the coming years.
Since taking over from Frank Vogel in 2022, Ham posted a regular-season record of 90-74 (.549) and a postseason record of 9-12 (.429). Ironically, Vogel, the current head coach of the Phoenix Suns, maybe on a bus ride out of Phoenix before the end of the week.
The decision to let Ham go comes days after the Lakers were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets for the second consecutive season, this time in five games during the first round. Last year, they were swept by Denver in the conference finals. Ham had two years remaining on his contract.
"We greatly appreciate Darvin Ham's efforts on behalf of the Lakers and recognize the many accomplishments achieved over the past two seasons including last year's remarkable run to the Western Conference finals," Rob Pelinka, Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager, said in a statement. "We all want to thank Darvin for this dedication and positivity. While this was a difficult decision to make, it is the best course of action following a full review of the season. The organization will remain unwavering in its commitment to deliver championship-caliber basketball to Lakers fans around the world."
"It's been a hell of a two years ... I'll tell you that," Ham said Monday after L.A. was eliminated. "Sitting in this seat, it's been a hell of a two years. A lot of good things that got done, but ultimately, you want to win that ultimate prize."
THE UNDERRATED OPINION
While I hate to see people get fired, this was a no-brainer for the Lakers. Outside of somehow taking the Lakers to the NBA Finals this year, there wasn't much he could do to save his job. It was painfully clear mid-way through the season that Ham had lost the team. To his credit, he made enough moves to get the team into the playoffs.
And so the speculation begins for who will be the next Los Angeles Lakers coach. I’m sure if LeBron has it his way, it would be Ty Lue, who has one more left on his deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.
