LOS ANGELES — Just like Thanksgiving dinner, Ham’s done.
The Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham today after the team suffered a first-round exit in the NBA playoffs against the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers lost the series 4-1 after making the playoffs by beating the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA Play-In Tournament. Ham was the head coach for the Lakers for two full seasons after being appointed in the summer of 2022.
Under Ham, the Lakers finished the 2023-2024 regular season with a 47-35 record. Throughout his two seasons as the Lakers head coach, Ham’s teams had a 90-74 record in the regular season.
A deep playoff run in the 2022-2023 season also came after a Play-In Tournament win, a mirror of the 2023-2024 season. Ham led the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals in 2023, where the team ultimately lost to the Denver Nuggets, who went on to win the 2022-2023 NBA title.
Expectations for the Lakers’ 2023-2024 season were a little higher after their 2022-2023 season was riddled with injuries for star players. Lakers forward LeBron James only played 55 games and center Anthony Davis played 56 games in Ham’s first season with the Lakers. James played 71 games and Davis played 76 games in Ham’s second season with the Lakers, which probably raised expectations in the front office.
The final series with Denver in 2024 was marked with ups and downs. The Lakers had double-digit leads in every single game of the series, but only managed to win one game against the Nuggets.
Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka thanked Ham for his “dedication and positivity” in a statement posted on X.
“We greatly appreciate Darvin’s efforts on behalf of the Lakers and recognize the many accomplishments achieved over the past two seasons, including last year’s remarkable run to the Western Conference Finals,” Pelinka said.
“While this was a difficult decision to make, it is the best course of action following a full review of the season. This organization will remain unwavering in its commitment to deliver championship-caliber basketball to Lakers fans around the world.”
Before his time with the Lakers, Ham was an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks from 2013 to 2018. He became the assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks from 2018 to 2022, winning an NBA championship with the organization in 2021.
Ham is the fourth head coach the Lakers have let go since 2018. Frank Vogel, Ham’s predecessor, was let go in 2022 after leading the Lakers to a 2019-2020 NBA championship and having a 127-98 record with the team.
The former Bucks coach is also the first major coaching casualty across the league following the conclusion of the regular season and most of the first round. Adrian Griffin was notably fired midseason as the Milwaukee Bucks head coach, with Doc Rivers coming in to fill the position.
Pelinka and his front office will now search the coaching market for their next coach, who could potentially lead them to a record-breaking 18th NBA title if James and Davis stay—assuming the Boston Celtics don’t get there first.