The Los Angeles Lakers let go of their head coach Darvin Ham on Friday after he led the team for two seasons. During his time, the Lakers won 90 games and lost 74 in the regular season. Rob Pelinka, the general manager, thanked Ham for his hard work and mentioned the team’s achievements, like reaching the Western Conference finals last year. Pelinka also said that despite the tough decision, it was necessary after reviewing the season.
The Lakers ended this season with a record of 47 wins and 35 losses, landing them in eighth place in the Western Conference. Even though they won against the New Orleans Pelicans in the play-in round, they were defeated by the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs, losing 4-1. Last season, the Nuggets also knocked the Lakers out of the playoffs on their way to winning the NBA championship.
Things were looking up for the Lakers when they won an in-season tournament game against the Indiana Pacers. But after that, they struggled, winning only three out of twelve games. Reports surfaced about tension between the players and Coach Ham. Ham took over as head coach in 2022 after Frank Vogel, but despite this being his first NBA head coaching job, he faced criticism from fans, and there were chants to fire him during games.
After the Lakers lost Game 5 against the Nuggets, Ham reflected on his time as coach, describing it as challenging. Anthony Davis, one of the Lakers’ star players, mentioned the team’s struggles with both offense and defense during certain parts of games.
