Although it still hasn’t been announced by the organization, the Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly found a new head coach, inking Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham to a four-year contract.
Ham was the favorite all along in the Lakers’ coaching search and reportedly impressed them so much in his second interview that they canceled interviews with other finalists to hire him.
This coaching search was a lot different than the last one for the Lakers are not only did they commit to Ham for four years, but they are also reportedly giving him the autonomy to select his own coaching staff, a luxury that Frank Vogel did not have.
Additionally, Lakers executive Kurt Rambis often watched in on coaching meetings while Vogel was at the helm, but according to NBA insider Marc Stein, that will not be the case with Ham in charge:
According to the buzz in NBA coaching circles over the weekend, Ham has likewise been promised the autonomy to pick his coaching staff and is said to have received assurances that Lakers senior advisor Kurt Rambis will not be a regular presence in coaching meetings like he was with Vogel. If those promises come to fruition and Ham actually receives all that latitude, they will rank as significant concessions secured by a first-time NBA head coach.
It seems like the Lakers learned from their last coaching search and are putting Ham in a better place to succeed than they did Vogel.
For a first-time coach, that is putting a lot of trust in Ham. But if he is gonna be the guy to get this organization back on the right track, that is what’s necessary.
It helps that Ham has already received an endorsement and warm welcome from the team’s superstar in LeBron James. Ham is known to be a no-nonsense coach that is able to hold everyone accountable, so having James on board is the first step in this hire being a success.
Ham impressed Lakers with knowledge of X’s and O’s
As previously mentioned, Ham impressed the Lakers so much in his second interview that the team canceled interviews with other finalists to hire him. As far as what impressed the organization, it reportedly was Ham’s knowledge of basketball X’s and O’s.
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