Breaking! Lakers fire head coach Darvin Ham

Friday’s dismissal of Ham comes four days after the Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the NBA Playoffs by the Denver Nuggets, with a final score of 108-106.

The losing streak was broken in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series, with a final loss in Game 5. It was the second straight year the Nuggets eliminated the Lakers.

Ham was at the helm for only two years, following a brief run from Frank Vogel, who was the Lakers head coach for three years.

In Ham’s two season’s, the Lakers went 90-74. His debut season saw some success, as the team reached the Western Conference Finals, but that’s not enough with the championship-focused Lakers.

“We greatly appreciate Darvin’s efforts on behalf of the Lakers and recognize the many accomplishments achieved over the past two seasons, including last year’s remarkable run to the Western Conference finals,” general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement.

Pelinka went on to thank Ham for his positivity and dedication. “While this was a difficult decision to make, it is the best course of action following a full review of the season,” Pelinka said.

Ham played college ball at Texas Tech and played for eight seasons in the NBA, including stints with the Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, Bucks, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets.

He was been an NBA assistant coach for more than a decade, including a 2011-13 stint with the Lakers.

He was an assistant for the Atlanta Hawks before joining the Bucks coaching staff as an assistant in 2018, remaining there until he was hired as Lakers coach to replace the ousted Frank Vogel.

Ham had two years left on his contract with the Lakers, who will be hiring their fourth head coach since 2018. The new coach will be the Lakers’ eighth in 14 seasons since Hall of Famer Phil Jackson’s departure in 2011.