Kofi Inkoom
The Los Angeles Lakers have sacked their head coach Darvin Ham, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. This decision comes after the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs.
The team is now embarking on an extensive quest to find a replacement, with names like Mike Budenholzer, Kenny Atkinson, and JJ Redick being floated as potential candidates. Tyronn Lue is also being considered, though he currently coaches the Clippers.
Various reports, including those from Marc Stein and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, had previously mentioned Redick as a potential replacement for Ham. Redick’s close ties with Lakers’ superstar LeBron James through their podcast further fueled speculation. Meanwhile, he’s also in the running for the head coaching role in Charlotte.
Ham, who had been an assistant coach for many years before landing the Lakers’ top job, had a decent record during his tenure. However, his postseason record doesn’t reflect the team’s achievements, as they made it to the Western Conference Finals last year but were swept by the eventual champions, the Nuggets. This year, they lost to the Nuggets again in the first round.
Wojnarowski had hinted at Ham’s precarious position if the Lakers didn’t perform well against the Nuggets, and subsequent reports confirmed his job was in jeopardy. Despite this, Ham has garnered support from various quarters in the NBA.
Budenholzer, a former Coach of the Year with Atlanta and Milwaukee, brings championship experience, having led the Bucks to a title in 2021. Atkinson, another former head coach with the Nets, withdrew from contention for Charlotte’s coaching job a couple of years ago.