Not long ago, the Los Angeles Lakers decided to fire head coach Darvin Ham after two seasons. But it looks like a new opportunity has come his way for the 2024-25 NBA season.
According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Ham is returning to the Milwaukee Bucks as the top assistant coach to Doc Rivers. The 50-year-old had already served as an assistant for that franchise betwen 2018-2022.
It was in the summer of 2022 when he left Milwaukee to take the reins of the Lakers, who handed Ham the task of getting the best out of a roster led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But he couldn’t get the job done.
Ham couldn’t succeed with LeBron James as Lakers HC
Following a slow start to his first season, a number of moves at the 2023 NBA trade deadline helped the Purple and Gold turn things around just in time to make the playoffs and make it all the way to the Western Conference Finals.
A 4-0 sweep at the hands of eventual champions Denver Nuggets proved they still had a lot of work to do, but the Lakers once again struggled for consistency in Ham’s second year.
The team couldn’t avoid the Play-In and had to settle with the #7 seed, which meant a rematch with the Nuggets in the first round. After losing in five games, the Lakers decided to fire Ham, who left Los Angeles with a 90-74 record as head coach.
Ham was reportedly sought after by other NBA teams
According to Woj, the former Lakers HC drew interest from multiple teams for a top assistant job this offseason. The likes of the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns have been linked with Ham, but he’s ultimately going back to a familiar place.
In his four years as an assistant in Milwaukee, Ham reportedly forged strong relationships with Giannis Antetokounmpo and other Bucks stars. In addition, he was part of the coaching staff in the 2021 NBA championship.
