There is a rising chorus of voices calling for the job of Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham. Ham is in the crossfire after the Lakers got bounced by the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs on Monday. Ham's future with the team is in peril, per The Athletic.
The Lakers' loss to the Nuggets brought out a variety of posts on social media. Some were actually quite sympathetic to the Lakers coach, after Denver held on to win 108-106 in Game 5.
Some others, not so much.
While still even others found humor in the entire situation.
The Lakers are rumored to part ways with the head coach, following the series loss in five games to the Nuggets. It completes the fastest exit Lakers star LeBron James has ever had in the NBA Playoffs.
Ham and the Lakers
The Lakers completed an extremely disappointing ending to their season in the Nuggets series. The team actually led for the majority of minutes in this playoff series, but could only muster one victory in those games. Following the loss, Ham was asked to reflect on his time coaching the team so far.
“My mind's all over the place right now, so that's a great question, but maybe at some point I'll give you an answer,” Ham said, per ESPN. “It's been a hell of a two years, though, I'll tell you that. Sitting in this seat, it's been a hell of a two years. A lot of good things that got done, but ultimately, you want to win that ultimate prize. I know what that feels like. I had that feeling a couple of times.
“So, you want to do everything in your power to not to prevent and continue to feel this feeling we're feeling now, the feeling of defeat. So again, control what I can control, continue to grow and hopefully be a better coach for it.”
The atmosphere on the Lakers sideline seemed tense at times in this series. Lakers star LeBron James seemed to yell at times during Game 5 at Ham. There is speculation James might leave the team, to play somewhere else before he decides to retire. The Lakers are also supposedly interested in bringing James' son Bronny to the club, so that the two can play in Los Angeles together. Ham may not be able to survive what comes next, but that will likely be answered soon.
The Lakers coach has a 90-74 record in the regular season, after completing two seasons in Los Angeles. His playoff record is a frustrating 9-12, which is definitely unacceptable to Lakers fans. Ham was an assistant coach on the Milwaukee Bucks when it won the NBA championship in 2021.
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