The Purple and Gold let him go after just two seasons.
As Shelburne notes, none of the six coaches the Lakers have brought in since Phil Jackson left for the final time in 2011 has lasted more than three seasons. This is made all the more strange given that one, Frank Vogel, instantly led the club to its record-tying 17th NBA title the first year he was hired, 2019-20.
During Ham's first season, he navigated a difficult situation with an ill-conceived roster loaded down by three pricey, washed-up point guards in Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn. After team president Rob Pelinka offloaded that triumvirate and balanced his personnel, the Purple and Gold predictably went on a run, finishing with a respectable 43-39 record and the Western Conference's No. 7 seed. Then, as an underdog, L.A.
This past season, the Lakers finished with a 47-35 record in a far more competitive West, securing the No. 7 seed by besting the 49-win New Orleans Pelicans in their first play-in tournament game. Los Angeles unfortunately suffered an ignominious first round defeat after being matched up with Denver again, falling in five games. Pelinka promptly fired him after just two seasons.
Ham faced criticism from his two All-Star players, Anthony Davis and LeBron James, during that Denver series, and that seemed to ultimately be his final undoing. Even Nuggets head coach Michael Malone could sense Ham's time might be limited, and defended his work after beating him.More Lakers:
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