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Former Lakers Coach Darvin Ham Flaunts New Hardware After NBA Cup Victory

Ricardo Sandoval

Apr 16, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half of a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Apr 16, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half of a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
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The Los Angeles Lakers failed to defend their NBA Cup title this year, as they were unable to advance past the group stage.

The Lakers sat from home this time and watched the Milwaukee Bucks take home the second-ever NBA Cup trophy. The Bucks flipped the switch when needed and got contributions from everyone involved, including former Lakers head coach and now Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham.

Ham is now a two-time NBA Cup champion, and he wasn't shy about flaunting his new hardware to the media after the team's victory on Tuesday night.

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For the second year in a row, Ham is an NBA Cup champion and remains undefeated in NBA Cup play. He is now 14-0 and did his part to lead the Bucks to a 7-0 record, similar to what he did for L.A. last year.

Ham was the head coach of the Lakers for two seasons. In his two seasons, L.A. made the Western Conference Finals, won an NBA Cup the next year, and was eliminated in the first round of the 2024 playoffs.

Although Ham's overall record was impressive, it was clear that his failure to make adjustments, his failure to take accountability for anything related to the team, and his loss of the locker room by the end of his tenure were pivotal in his job loss.

The team was weary of Ham, and so were the fans, who had had enough of his antics during his time in the L.A. NBA, and Laker fans didn't waste any time giving their thoughts on Ham's second title.

The Lakers knew it was time for a change in the head coach position, and they ultimately went with the first-time head coach, JJ Redick. While things aren't going incredibly well for L.A. this season, it is clear that Redick is not the problem.

The Lakers have much deeper issues than their head coach; their roster is completely flawed. L.A. lacks depth, especially in the frontcourt. On top of that, the Lakers are missing many of their key players due to injury.

It is clear that the Lakers need to make major roster upgrades. This goes beyond the problems that Redick is enduring or even Ham had to battle through.

The Lakers are a flawed team, and while it wasn't all of Ham's fault, losing the locker room, especially during their short playoff run, was enough for L.A. to give him the boot.

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Ricardo Sandoval
RICARDO SANDOVAL

Staff Writer

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