The Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham after just two seasons at the helm of the team on Friday.
The Lakers announced via social media that they had relieved Ham of his duties, four days after the team was eliminated in five games in the first round of the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets.
Ham led the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals less than a year ago in his first season as an NBA head coach. He replaced Frank Vogel, who was fired by the Lakers exactly 18 months after their 17th conquest of the Larry O’Brien Trophy, in 2020.
With little time left to take advantage of the presence of Anthony Davis and LeBron James, who has not yet decided whether he will play a 22nd season in the NBA, the Lakers are once again changing head coaches rather than to blame general manager Rob Pelinka for the team’s construction.
Ham led the Lakers to a 47-35 record, but the California squad won the first performance of the intraseason tournament. The Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans in the Western Qualifying Tournament, securing a date against the defending champions.
The Lakers led the Nuggets for long periods during this first round series, but Nikola Jokic and his teammates advanced to the next round thanks to a few victorious comebacks.
The Los Angeles roster’s failure hurts because James and Davis have been healthy for virtually the entire season. Davis played in 76 games while James played in 71. D’Angelo Russell also had a good season, setting the team record for three-pointers made.
The Lakers were 43-39 in Ham’s first season in 2022-23. They took advantage of favorable playoff confrontations to reach the Western final, where they were swept by the Nuggets.
Ham still had two more years of contract with the Lakers, who will have to hire a fourth head coach since the arrival of James in 2018.
2024-05-03 18:20:18
#NBA #Los #Angeles #Lakers #fire #coach #Darvin #Ham
