Darvin Ham’s first season as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022-23 started in chaos. The team stumbled out of the gate with a 2-10 record, leaving fans and analysts questioning whether Ham could ever turn things around. But after a midseason shake-up and a roster “reboot,” Ham guided the Lakers from play-in obscurity all the way to the Western Conference Finals—a remarkable turnaround that many hailed as a masterclass in coaching resilience.
Yet, the story ended in heartbreak. The Denver Nuggets, led by a transcendent Nikola Jokic, swept the Lakers out of the Western Conference Finals, leaving Ham to confront the hard truth about the limits of his tenure.
“I always tried to steer the ship well,” Ham said in a recent interview reflecting on his time in Los Angeles. “We had a lot to clean up. The roster was unbalanced, there were a lot of dynamics between our star players, and we tried to figure out a way to make it work. We reached the Western Conference Finals, and I believe I did a good job navigating that.”
Ham emphasized that the ultimate obstacle was simply Jokic’s brilliance.
“We ran into a brick wall in Denver,” he said. “They had the best player in the world performing at the highest level, even to this day, Nikola Jokic. I have no ill will and no regrets.”
Despite leading the Lakers to the playoffs in both of his seasons—a feat that might have secured him a contract extension elsewhere—Ham was ultimately dismissed in May 2024. Reports cited a perceived disconnect with the locker room as the primary reason for the decision.
Even so, Ham expressed no bitterness. Instead, he conveyed pride in the foundation he built.
“I just wish I had more time to see the program through to a complete result,” he said. “I think we laid a great foundation to bring them back and turn them into real championship contenders.”
Ham’s tenure included working with both veteran superstars and younger talent, trying to manage personalities and expectations while pushing for results. His leadership style emphasized protecting his players publicly while challenging them privately, but the complexities of the roster and the pressures of Los Angeles made the job uniquely demanding.
The sweep by Denver highlighted just how far the Lakers still had to go. The Nuggets dominated the playoffs in 2023, dispatching the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1 in the first round and overcoming the Phoenix Suns in six games in the semifinals before sweeping the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Jokic then led Denver to a commanding 4-1 victory over the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, earning both his first championship and Finals MVP honors.
For Ham, the takeaway is clear: sometimes, even a well-steered ship cannot overcome a truly elite opponent. His reflections underscore both the difficulties of coaching in the NBA’s high-pressure environment and the recognition of Jokic’s extraordinary performance.
“I don’t regret anything,” Ham concluded. “We built something strong, we gave our best, and sometimes the other team is just that good. I only wish I had more time to see where it could have gone.”
Darvin Ham’s Lakers tenure may have ended abruptly, but his perspective is measured: success isn’t always about the final score—it’s about laying the groundwork for the next era, and Ham believes he did just that, even in defeat.
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