The Los Angeles Lakers have found a new head coach and reached a deal to hire Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham.
ESPN first reported the hire Friday, which was subsequently confirmed by the Los Angeles Times. The team did not respond to a request for comment from City News Service, but star LeBron James confirmed the news on Twitter, writing, “So damn EXCITED!!!!!!! Congrats and welcome Coach DHam!!”
Ham, 48, played college ball at Texas Tech and spent 12 years as a pro, including stints with the Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, Bucks, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets. He has been an NBA assistant coach for more than a decade, including a 2011-13 stint with the Lakers.
He was also an assistant for the Atlanta Hawks before joining the Bucks coaching staff in 2018.
The Lakers in April fired head coach Frank Vogel following two straight disappointing seasons on the heels of the team’s championship in the pandemic-abbreviated 2019-20 season.
In the 2020-21 season, the team finished 42-30 and was ousted from the playoffs in the first round. In the 2021-22 season, with James and Anthony Davis both battling injuries, the Lakers missed the postseason. Vogel compiled a 127-98 record during his time with the team.