Under fire coach Darvin Ham blames “health” not rotations for Lakers’ premature exit
LeBron James and his LA Lakers were left heartbroken after they crashed out of the NBA Playoffs in a breathless 108-106 defeat to the defending champions the Denver Nuggets.
Darvin Ham’s men were heartbroken, the players listing helplessly around the court in utter dejection while the home team erupted into wild celebrations.
The 50-year-old LA coach, who’s under heavy scrutiny following the team's defeat, has shed new light on the reasons for his team’s loss, insisting on what the Lakers need to do to be successful next season:
"Stay healthy. Stay healthy,” Darvin Ham told reporters after the game.
He added: “You take a lot of flak for your rotations, but rotations are secondary. Primary is health. ... Health is the greatest of wealth. That's pretty much it."
The LA Lakers have endured a mixed campaign under Darvin Ham this season, despite an NBA In-Season Tournament title. If the results weren't on Darvin Ham’s side, the LA outfit would've ended their relationship sooner.
The loss might mark the end of James's LA chapter, who led the game for his side with 30 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists, as the 39-year-old superstar is entering free agency for the first time in his career.
Darvin Ham catches stray from Lakers fans for blaming loss on players’ health
There has been bad blood between Lakers fans and Darvin Ham for quite some time. The 50-year-old took charge of the Lakers in 2022 but patience has started to wear thin for the fans in the following season.
Blaming the loss on player health appears to be the final straw for many Lakers fans, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to air out their frustrations.
“Darvin's lack of accountability continues to blow my mind,” wrote on fan.
“This guy is a professional gaslighter lmao. He has the most healthy season of Bron and AD since 2020 and he didn’t know what to do with it,” another commented.
This sentiment was echoed by another fan, who said, “Wtf?! What the Lakers need is to FIRE THIS M*F'ER. Makes my blood boil. No accountability till the end. Used to defend Jeanie, but I'll never forgive her for not firing the MOST INCOMPETENT COACH & wasting one of Bron's final yrs & AD's prime (his healthiest). Series was winnable!”
This fan delivered his two cents quite succinctly, calling out his bluff, “health didn’t make you start Taurean Prince for 50 games. I know. Cause I was there.”
“Please fire him even if Bron leaves & I never watch another Lakers game other than when Bron plays against them — I never want to see him coach again,” another fan said.