A new era starts in L.A. with the appointment of Darvin Ham as the new Los Angeles Lakers head coach.
The people tasked with finding the new head coach unanimously chose Ham and recommended his candidacy to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss. The 48-year-old has said he convinced L.A.’s leadership he was the man for the job by assuring them his tenure would come down to three words: competitiveness, togetherness, and accountability.
In a Q&A with NBA.com’s Mark Medina, Buss said she’s always admired Ham work ethic — and that she’s even received congratulations after hiring the former Lakers assistant coach:
“Absolutely. I’m a big believer in Darvin Ham. When you’re at the Board of Governors meetings and governors say to you, ‘We interviewed your guy, you got a great coach.’ Or, ‘He worked for us, you got a great guy.’ His reputation around the league brings me a lot of pride to hear other people say how much they admire him. We got a really good coach.”
Buss then went on to explain what impressed her so many about Ham:
“Darvin is a very impressive person and has powerful leadership. He was part of the Lakers’ organization a few years ago. I have always admired his work ethic as a player and as a coach. That’s what he is going to bring to this team.”
Ham worked with Mike Brown and Mike D’Antoni in L.A. between 2011-2013 — his first coaching job in the NBA. After reuniting with the Lakers this summer, he said the return felt like “homecoming.”
One of the biggest challenges lying ahead of Ham will be to successfully utilize Russell Westbrook — if the 2017 NBA MVP stays with the team. But the head coach said he can see the guard fit into his four-out, one-in system he’s trying to implement.
Jordan Ott explains why he joined Ham’s staff
Jordan Ott left the Brooklyn Nets to join Ham’s staff and become his new lead assistant. Ott said he accepted the job because of the Lakers head coach’s personality.
“So I’ve known Darvin for nine years now and just his ability to relate to everyone, it doesn’t matter who you are, he relates to everyone,” Ott said.
“He brings a joy and spirit every day to work. That’s what I’m looking forward to. Working with him to try to find solutions.”
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