After their season had ended, the Los Angeles Lakers made headlines with their coaching change, parting ways with Darvin Ham after just two seasons. According to multiple sources from Hoopswire, Lakers players reportedly “hated” playing under Ham, with dissatisfaction growing over time.
“There wasn’t one player on the team who posted any message on social media after Darvin was fired, that wasn’t a coincidence…
…Look, Darvin was a nice guy,” said the source. “Players liked him as a person, easy to talk to. He’s a former player and won a championship. Players respected him as a person. But that was the biggest issue. They respected him as a person, not as a coach. His schemes, rotations, and inability to take accountability for his mistakes rubbed guys the wrong way all year. They started tuning him out all the way in December.”
The discontent reportedly began during the team’s first-round playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets, when Anthony Davis expressed frustration over the team’s lack of direction on both ends of the floor. As the 2023-24 season progressed, players like D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves subtly criticized Ham’s coaching style while praising the new philosophies introduced by his successor, JJ Redick.
LeBron James was also reportedly unhappy with Ham’s coaching, hinting at a loss of faith in the previous regime. Sources close to the team revealed that players respected Ham as a person but not as a coach, citing his schemes, rotations, and inability to connect with the team as major issues.
The Lakers’ decision to move on from Ham and bring in JJ Redick has been met with positive feedback from players, who have appreciated Redick’s detailed and structured approach to the game. The contrasting views of Ham and Redick highlight the challenges Ham faced in maintaining the team’s cohesion and performance.
As the Lakers look to bounce back from a rocky season, the coaching change represents a fresh start and a renewed sense of optimism among the players. The hope is that Redick’s leadership will bring the team back to its winning ways and restore harmony within the locker room.
