Getty Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka.
With only three teams having head coaching openings this offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers decided to take their time with the search. They took a look at many candidates before narrowing the search down to Kenny Atkinson, Terry Stotts and Darvin Ham. There was recent chatter that the team was still waiting to see what would happen with Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers but the team made their decision.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers have hired Milauwkee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham as head coach.
The Lakers have hired Darvin Ham as coach, sources tell ESPN.
Wojnarowski is also reporting that Ham will be receiving a four-year contract, which is longer than the three-year contract the team gave Frank Vogel when he was hired.
Four-year deal for Ham, sources said.
Ham was always one of the favorites for the jobs due to his ties to the Lakers. He served as an assistant for the team from 2011 to 2013. The former NBA guard has experience as a player and won a championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004, which came against the Lakers. Recently, he won a championship as an assistant with the Bucks and has been a popular candidate for head coaching openings. He’ll now get the chance to take over a team that won a championship two years ago and is led by superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
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LeBron Is a Fan of Ham
The coaching search for the Lakers had extra layers this offseason. LeBron could be entering a contract year and would have the option of leaving after the season. Had they hired a coach he didn’t approve of, things could’ve gotten ugly. Fortunately, all signs indicate that LeBron was rooting for Ham to get the job.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report just recently reported that Ham was the superstar’s top choice. If that’s true, he has to be thrilled with the hire. It’s been well-documented that LeBron wanted Ty Lue to get hired before Vogel got the job in 2019. Hiring the coach he wants will certainly help the Lakers’ chances of getting LeBron to sign an extension this offseason.
It didn’t take LeBron to react to the news and send a message to his new head coach.
So damn EXCITED!!!!!!!! Congrats and welcome Coach DHam!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 #LakeShow💜💛
Was Ham the Right Hire?
The Lakers head coaching job is one of the toughest jobs in the NBA. The team expects to win every season and anything less can land you on the hot set. However, it can also be one of the most rewarding jobs. The Lakers are always committed to winning and landing superstar players.
Ham likely could’ve gotten a head coaching job in the near future if he didn’t accept the Lakers’ offer so he picked the team. He’s uniquely equipped to take over the team thanks to his experience coaching them. He’s got a tough task in front of him as the Lakers were the NBA’s biggest disappointment this season. Ham can’t do much until there’s more clarity on the team’s roster but now that they have a head coach, it’s now time to figure out what to do with Russell Westbrook.
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Lakers Have Reached Final Decision on Hiring Head Coach: Report