A busy week awaits Darvin Ham, who will be officially introduced as the new Los Angeles Lakers head coach on Monday afternoon.
Ham has started assembling his staff after the franchise confirmed the 48-year-old’s hiring last week. He is expected to enjoy “a large autonomy” in L.A., allowing the first-year head coach to choose his own assistants.
Ham is believed to look for someone with previous head-coaching experience to join his staff. However, his former Detroit Pistons teammate and 2004 NBA champion, Rasheed Wallace, has been named as the first candidate for the assistant job, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania:
For further context: Wallace was recently identified as a candidate for Ham’s staff. The two sides have not yet reached a formal contract stage. https://t.co/IPlsixreVL
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 6, 2022
Wallace has worked as an assistant coach with the Pistons in 2013-14 and at the University of Memphis last year. The 47-year-old also served as the head coach of the boys varsity team at Jordan High School in Durham, N.C.
As a player, Wallace was known for his intensity and toughness — which should match Ham’s no-nonsense coaching style. Wallace holds the NBA record for the most technical fouls in a season, receiving 41 techs during the 2000-01 campaign.
Russell Westbrook appears to approve Ham hire
Russell Westbrook’s future and his role with the Lakers — if the 2017 NBA MVP remains with the team — has been one of the biggest questions of L.A.’s postseason and an issue that likely factored in the franchise’s head coaching search.
Westbrook officially said he didn’t get along with Frank Vogel after the 2021-22 regular season ended. But it seems the guard looks forward to working with Ham — as he reposted the Lakers’ official announcement of his hiring, which suggests the 33-year-old approves of the team’s choice.
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