After the Los Angeles Lakers fired him, former head coach Darvin Ham reportedly had the opportunity to join the staff of another Western Conference contender.. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Mike Budenholzer “made a run at trying to convince” Ham to join his staff after he was hired as head coach of the Phoenix Suns last month. However, Ham “understandably passed after two exacting seasons in Lakerland.”
Suns Turn to Fizdale
After Ham turned down Budenholzer’s offer, the Suns “responded by asking David Fizdale, from [Frank] Vogel’s staff, to stay on as an assistant coach on Budenholzer’s new staff after initially offering him a front office role.”
Ham’s History with Budenholzer
Ham was a longtime assistant under Budenholzer, first joining his staff with the Atlanta Hawks in 2013 and then following him to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2018. The two of them helped the Bucks win their first NBA championship in 50 years in 2021, and the Lakers hired Ham as their head coach a year later.
A Tumultuous Tenure with the Lakers
Darvin Ham experienced a challenging 2023-24 season in Los Angeles following a promising trip to the Western Conference Finals in the 2022-23 season. The Lakers won the inaugural In-Season Tournament championship but struggled to find consistency over the second half of the season. They finished with a 47-35 record and lost to the Denver Nuggets in five games in the first round of the playoffs.
Darvin Ham faced criticism throughout the year for his decision-making and apparent struggles to galvanize a veteran-laden roster led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Lakers fired him a month ago and have yet to find his replacement.
Given the challenging circumstances of his tenure with the Lakers, it is understandable if Ham is content with stepping away from coaching for a bit. His decision to pass on Budenholzer’s offer suggests he might be taking time to recharge after his tumultuous run in Los Angeles.
Not surprised at all that Budenholzer tried to get Darvin Ham to link up with him on the staff again. Also, not too surprised that after a pressure cooker situation coaching the Lakers he declined the opportunity. He’s had enough of that for now?
Maybe this’ll track to Darvin… https://t.co/KNnb6DCkdA
— Ben Sig 🚬 (@sig_50) June 2, 2024
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