Darvin Ham Rumors

But those who know him, and know of his reputation, believe he’s well-equipped for the job and fits an archetype for what the Lakers were looking for. Ham spent the last few years with the Milwaukee Bucks as a top assistant under Mike Budenholzer, developing a reputation for being a player’s coach — a term several executives used to describe him.

“If you look around the league now, the coaches who are having successes — Steve Kerr, Monty Williams, Willie Green — [not only have] excellent knowledge but an ability to connect and hold [players] accountable,” an high-ranking league executive told Yahoo Sports. “He has a personable blend of that. A strong individual. He can garner respect from his players. I like it.”

When asked about the strong personalities, such as coaching James in an advanced stage of his career, a strong-minded Westbrook coming off the worst year of his career and Anthony Davis being unavailable for long stretches, multiple executives reached by Yahoo Sports expressed confidence Ham will be able to adjust and handle the locker room. As for potential conflict, one executive said with a chuckle, “Don’t try him.”