Darvin Ham, who was released by the Los Angeles Lakers a few months ago, has returned to the scene as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks. Magic Johnson, an NBA icon, is among those who have commented on this move.
Ham became the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coach in 2022 after the franchise elected not to renew Frank Vogel’s contract. Vogel previously coached a LeBron James-led team to the title in 2020.
During Ham’s first season as head coach, the Lakers finished the regular season with 43 wins and 39 defeats. Despite going through the Play-In Tournament, the squad made a deep playoff run, reaching the Western Conference Finals and facing the Denver Nuggets. Unfortunately, they were defeated by the Nikola Jokic-led team, which went on to win the NBA Finals.
This season, the Lakers again found themselves in the Play-In Tournament, only to face the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. The Lakers were eliminated in a five-game series, with a lack of trust in Ham being highlighted as one of the reasons for their poor performance. As a result, he was relieved of his coaching duties, and the team is currently looking for a replacement as James considers his player option for the 2018 season.
Magic Johnson gives his honest opinion on the Milwaukee Bucks hiring Darvin Ham as an assistant coach.
During the offseason, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers overhauled the team’s coaching staff to accommodate his own preferences. Ham was among those hired, prompting Lakers great Magic Johnson to react.
“I’m so happy that my friend and Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Doc Rivers has named former Lakers Head Coach Darvin Ham as his new Top Assistant!” Johnson tweeted.
Before taking over in Los Angeles, Ham worked as an assistant coach for Milwaukee from 2018 to 2022. Now, he’ll be back in a familiar setting, assisting Rivers in coaching two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and All-Star point guard Damian Lillard.
Rivers and Ham have a full offseason to prepare the team for the next season. Hopefully, the latter will bring all of the things he gained in LA to help the Bucks compete next season.
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