Lakers fire coach Darvin Ham after 2 seasons

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers fired coach Darvin Ham on Friday after two seasons, and the crew now will open a job search in hopes of discovering the suitable individual to maximise what figures to be the ultimate chapter of LeBron James’ storied profession whereas returning to championship competition.

Ham, who had two years remaining on his contract, went 90-74 (.549) in the course of the common season and 9-12 (.429) within the postseason — which doesn’t embody his two play-in event wins — since being employed to interchange Frank Vogel in 2022. He additionally guided the Lakers to the inaugural in-season event title in Las Vegas in December.

The choice got here simply days after the Lakers have been eradicated by the Denver Nuggets for the second straight season, this time in 5 video games within the first spherical after being swept by Denver within the convention finals a 12 months in the past.

“We significantly admire Darvin Ham’s efforts on behalf of the Lakers and acknowledge the numerous accomplishments achieved over the previous two seasons together with final 12 months’s outstanding run to the Western Convention finals,” Rob Pelinka, Lakers vice chairman of basketball operations and basic supervisor, mentioned in an announcement. “All of us wish to thank Darvin for this dedication and positivity. Whereas this was a troublesome determination to make, it’s the finest plan of action following a full evaluation of the season. The group will stay unwavering in its dedication to ship championship-caliber basketball to Lakers followers around the globe.”

Later Friday, after firing Ham, the Lakers dismissed the whole teaching workers, sources advised ESPN. Included within the group was Phil Helpful, who was an assistant coach underneath each Ham and Frank Vogel in L.A. and likewise was an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers throughout LeBron James’ second stint with the franchise.

Regardless of James (71 video games) and Anthony Davis (76) taking part in their most mixed video games since turning into teammates in L.A. in 2018, the Lakers solely earned the No. 7 seed in a crowded Western Convention discipline, establishing the showdown with the No. 2-seeded Nuggets.

The Lakers failed to guard a double-digit lead in all 4 of their losses within the collection, together with a 20-point second-half lead in Recreation 2.

“It has been a hell of a two years … I am going to inform you that,” Ham mentioned Monday after L.A. was eradicated. “Sitting on this seat, it has been a hell of a two years. A whole lot of good issues that obtained carried out, however finally, you wish to win that final prize.”

Ham inherited a Lakers crew coming off some of the disappointing seasons within the historical past of the franchise, when it went 33-49 in 2021-22 and did not qualify for the postseason after it traded a number of position gamers who have been very important to L.A.’s 2020 title for Russell Westbrook.

L.A. began off 2-10 in Ham’s first season, and the roster was utterly overhauled in a collection of strikes main as much as the commerce deadline. The crew parted methods with Westbrook and retooled with D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura to enrich holdovers James, Davis and Austin Reaves.

That crew beat the Minnesota Timberwolves within the play-in event to earn the No. 7 seed and went on to upset the No. 2-seeded Memphis Grizzlies and No. 6-seeded Golden State Warriors earlier than falling to the top-seeded Nuggets. Denver went on to win its first championship in franchise historical past.

This season, the Lakers had an underwhelming begin as soon as once more by going 3-5, then stumbled by way of a 4-11 stretch following the in-season event title, dropping them to No. 13 within the West in mid-January. L.A. rallied to complete the season 23-10 — the fifth-best file within the league from Feb. 1 by way of mid-April — and beat the New Orleans Pelicans within the play-in event to earn the No. 7 seed once more.

Final 12 months, the Nuggets swept the Lakers within the playoffs and outscored them by 24 factors of their 4 wins; this time round, it took Denver 5 video games, and the mixed margin of victory was 22 factors within the 4 wins.