The Los Angeles Lakers are going through tough times. Despite mortgaging their future to have a big three made up of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, they failed to qualify for the playoffs. Since then, the decision was imminent: Frank Vogel, the technician, would be relegated from office. After much speculation about who would fill the vacant position in one of the most desired and demanding franchises in the NBA, the Lakers have already officially presented the chosen one. Darvin Ham, a man with a devastating personal story, will try to raise the gold and purple ship.
The hiring of Mike Budenholzer's assistant in the Milwaukee Bucks, still defending NBA champions, has caused some surprise in the American league. Although top-tier names with proven track records sounded like Doc Rivers, still in charge of the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers have chosen a man with no previous experience as the main director of a locker room.
Ham, who had already been in the franchise as an assistant between 2011 and 2013, arrives after five years on the Atlanta Hawks bench and four as Budenholzer's right-hand man. According to Shams Charania, a journalist for The Athletic, Rasheed Wallace, Ham's former teammate on the 2004 NBA champion Detroit Pistons, would be close to accompanying him as an assistant in his new adventure.
Asked in his presentation, this morning, about the pressure of managing the Los Angeles Lakers, his response was shocking: "This is not pressure. I was accidentally shot in the face in 1988. If that happens to you, you can become fearful or very brave. I became a brave person." Although his lack of experience may condition his work in such an important franchise, he made it clear that he would not shy away from the challenge.
His past as a professional plays in his favor. His time in the NBA took place between 1996 and 2005, and it should be noted that he was a member of the Detroit Pistons squad that won the ring in 2004. However, the shot he received was not the only dark episode in his life. . During his brief stint at CB Granada, where he arrived to play the last twelve games of the 1998-99 season, he was better known for his off-field scandals than for his performance. Within days he crashed his car while intoxicated and tested positive for hashish in a doping test. As if that were not enough, his 11.7 points and 7 rebounds per game were not enough to prevent the team from relegation.
In reference to his new stage and the situation he will face in the Los Angeles Lakers, he is very happy: "It's like a return home." In sports, he has several open fronts. LeBron James' dissatisfaction with last season's performance, Anthony Davis's injuries or Russell Westbrook's lack of fit are some of the issues he will have to address. Mike Trudell, reporter for the Lakers, assures that "Darvin Ham has had several very productive talks with Westbrook" and that "the key word from the beginning is 'sacrifice'", focusing, above all, on the defensive section.
