Former Lakers Head Coach Joins Doc Rivers Coaching Staff
By Jovan Alford
After being fired by the Los Angeles Lakers last month, Darvin Ham has found a new coaching job in the Association weeks later.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Monday that the former Lakers head coach is joining the Milwaukee Bucks as Doc Rivers' top assistant coach. Wojnarowski adds that Ham had been highly sought-after by various teams this spring.
NBA News: Darvin Ham Returning to Bucks
Darvin Ham is joining the Milwaukee Bucks as the top assistant coach to Doc Rivers, sources tell ESPN. Ham returns to the franchise after spending two years as the Lakers head coach. He had been highly sought-after among teams this spring. pic.twitter.com/k0yZeVKo1t
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 10, 2024
For the 50-year-old Ham, this is a reunion for him as he was an assistant coach in Milwaukee under Mike Budenholzer for four seasons. The Saginaw, Michigan native also spent three years with the Bucks as a player, where he averaged 4.4 points and 3.7 rebounds in 19.7 minutes per game.
The decision by Rivers to bring Ham on board could be a telling sign that Milwaukee may not add Sam Cassell to their coaching staff.
Earlier this month, Gery Woelfl reported that the Bucks want to hire the Boston Celtics assistant and are “willing to make him the highest-paid assistant coach” in the NBA. Cassell would be a great addition to the Bucks’ coaching staff as he worked with Rivers in Philadelphia, and Los Angeles with the Clippers.
However, Cassell is still with the Celtics, who are currently two wins away from possibly taking home the NBA title. If Boston wins the entire thing, it might be hard to convince the long-time assistant coach to go elsewhere.
Lastly, this is a solid landing spot for Ham as he gets to step back after an interesting two seasons with the Lakers, including a Western Conference Finals appearance and an in-season tournament championship.
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