Lakers ditch Ham after playoff thumping
The Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham on Friday after two seasons and a 90-74 regular-season record. "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," general manager Rob Pelinka said in a team-released statement. "We all want to thank Darvin for his dedication and positivity. While this was a difficult decision to make, it is the best course of action following a full review of the season. This organisation will remain unwavering in its commitment to deliver championship-calibre basketball to Lakers fans around the world." The Lakers finished the regular season with a 47-35 mark, good enough for only an eighth-place finish in the Western Conference. They defeated the New Orleans Pelicans in the play-in round to earn the No 7 seed in the playoffs but were bounced by the Denver Nuggets in the opening round, 4-1. The Nuggets also defeated the Lakers last season in the conference finals on the way to their first NBA title. All had seemed optimistic in Lakers land when the team roared to the title in the NBA in-season tournament with a 123-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers at Las Vegas on December 9. But a 3-9 stretch followed, and reports emerged of growing unrest between the players and Ham, 50. The Lakers hired Ham on June 3, 2022, to replace Frank Vogel following a 33-49 record in 2021-22, two years removed from winning the NBA championship. It was Ham's first NBA head coaching job. Lakers fans chanted "Fire Darvin Ham" in Game 3 of the series with the Nuggets. After the game, All-Star Anthony Davis said the Lakers "don't know what we're doing on both ends of the floor" for stretches of games. (Reuters)