Lakers introduce Darvin Ham

Don’t ruin it, Russell Westbrook is one of the best players our league has ever seen and there’s still a lot left in the tank,” Ham said. “I don’t know why people tend to try to write him off.”

After trading for Westbrook on NBA Draft Day last summer, Los Angeles experienced one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. The Lakers went from being preseason favorites to win the championship according to Las Vegas oddsmakers to missing the playoffs altogether, finishing 11th in the Western Conference with a 33-49 record.

Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka joined Ham for the occasion and expressed optimism that Ham, 48, will become the 28th head coach in the team’s existence. “This is an incredibly bright and promising day in Lakers history.” said Pelinka.

After an eight-year NBA playing career and one season coaching and working in the front office of the NBA’s developmental league, Ham began coaching in the NBA in Los Angeles as an assistant on Mike Brown’s staff in 2012-13.

“The fact that I started coaching here, this place will always be special to me,” Ham said. “It’s like a homecoming for me, in all seriousness.”

After Los Angeles, Ham spent nearly a decade on Mike Budenholzer’s staff with the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks, winning a championship in 2021.

“As sad as it is for me to leave Coach Bud, sometimes you have to walk that road on your own,” Ham said, a lump in his throat as he spoke of his former boss. “We went from colleagues to friends, to brothers as we made history.”