Lakers Should Make NBA History With Next Head Coaching Hire

Now that Darvin Ham has been let go, one name makes sense to replace him.

Once again, the Los Angeles Lakers will be entering into an offseason with more questions than answers. After being eliminated in the postseason by the Denver Nuggets once again, the organization has some soul-searching to do.

It's clear that they aren't on the same level as a team like the Nuggets, even if the games were close. This early playoff exit has the Lakers on the verge of another coaching change, with head coach Darvin Ham headed for the exits. The Lakers officially parted ways with Ham on Friday.

Ham did some good things while with Los Angeles but his inability to make in-game adjustments cost him. With Ham now gone, the Lakers front office will have their work cut out for them in searching for his replacement.

However, there is one name that the team should be looking at and she isn't even in the NBA. That would be Becky Hammon, who is currently the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces over in the WNBA.

There will be those who will wonder if a woman will be able to coach grown men but that narrative needs to die. Hammon worked under San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich from 2014-22, learning from one of the greatest of all time. He essentially was grooming her to take over the Spurs when he finally retired but Hammon wanted to take her chance earlier than that.

Hammon has been one of the brightest head coaches across the basketball world for some time now and deserves a chance to be a coach within the NBA. In two years as the coach of the Aces, she has led the team to back-to-back titles, the first to do so in 20 years. It's an incredible feat and now it's time for her to enter into the league she worked in for so long.

The Lakers have been one of the premier, historic franchises across the sports landscape, so why not make more history? Hiring Hammon would be a game-changer for the NBA, breaking another barrier that still exists in professional sports.

The Lakers, who are owned by Jeanie Buss, could change the narrative for women everywhere with the hiring of Hammon. But this isn't to say that Hammon wouldn't deserve the job because she can flat-out coach.

She has a fiery personality on the sidelines, something the head coaches in Los Angeles have been lacking for some time. Additionally, having the chance to coach LeBron James and Anthony Davis would do wonders for her and the Lakers would benefit from her knowledge of the game.

Los Angeles may be hesitant to hire a new coach without any NBA experience but they could mitigate that by surrounding her with veteran assistants. Hammon just needs a chance to show what she can do and the Lakers should be the destination for her to do it. She would thrive in representing this legendary franchise and the Lakers may finally be able to solve their head coaching problem that has encapsulated them for years.

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