Rivers’ Trojan Horse Tactics: Bucks Coach Leaks Darvin Ham’s Fiery Message, Signaling a Calculated Attempt to Undermine Lakers’ Morale and Gain a Crucial Playoff Edge
Darvin Ham had an interesting run as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and he’s eager to get a bit of revenge when the teams face off on Thursday night.
Ham finished with an overall record of 90–74, but inconsistent play and an early playoff exit led to his dismissal following the 2023-24 season.
Ham didn’t spend long looking for a job. Doc Rivers and the Milwaukee Bucks hired him as the team’s top assistant coach. The Bucks will face a depleted Lakers team on Thursday that will play without its top three players: LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Nonetheless, Ham is still looking forward to getting some revenge against his former team, per Rivers.
“Yeah, he wants to kick the Lakers’ (expletive),” Rivers said in his pregame press conference.
It’s nothing Ham hasn’t said publicly. He told Marc J. Spears of Andscape that he disagreed with the Lakers decision to let him walk.
“To do as well as I did, I swear to God, anywhere else I’m probably looking at an extension with what I did,” Ham said. “I’m not talking about feelings. I’m talking actual facts. They go from not making it to the playoffs to the final four in the NBA, the conference finals. And then you win the in-season tournament, navigate through all the injuries and win both of your play-in games to get to the playoffs.
“People always talk about us losing to Denver, but they never talk about how we got to Denver. We beat a kick-ass young squad in Memphis and we beat Golden State.”
Sometimes, stats and a win-loss record can’t tell the full story. Ham was criticized for his in-game adjustments, and it appeared at times that he had lost the locker room.
And a change appeared to be good for the Lakers, who hired JJ Redick and entered the matchup with the Bucks with a 43-25 record, good for third in the Western Conference.
