"Awesome catching up with one of my former players" - USC HC Eric Musselman shares reunion snap with ex-Lakers HC Darvin Ham
USC men's basketball head coach Eric Musselman met with his former player and Los Angeles Lakers ex-head coach Darvin Ham. On 5th April 2024, the new USC coach posted a photo of the two on X and tweeted:
"Awesome catching up with one of my former players, Darvin Ham."
Musselman and Ham go way back. Before coaching alongside Musselman, Ham played for the Atlanta Hawks. In his period with the team, they won 143 games and entered the playoffs thrice.
In a 2009 playoff match between the Hawks and the Miami Heat, Ham scored 15 points, grabbed five rebounds and made three assists. His numbers helped his side win 93-79.
Ham played in 242 games with the Hawks, averaging 8.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. He boasted a shooting percentage of 45.5% from the field and 35.5% from three-point range. His best season was 2008-2009, averaging 10.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 2.5 apg.
Ham was hired as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach in 2022. Musselman’s impact as an assistant coach at the Hawks helped them attain a .555 winning percentage.
Darvin Ham turns down coaching opportunity with Suns after Lakers exit
After being dismissed by the Los Angeles Lakers, former head coach Darvin Ham was reportedly approached by another Western Conference team. NBA insider Marc Stein revealed that Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer "made a run at trying to convince" Ham to join his staff. However, Ham "understandably passed after two exacting seasons in Lakerland."
Stein pointed out that the Suns wanted David Fizdale to remain their assistant coach after Ham’s move. He was offered the position after working under Frank Vogel’s staff. However, he was originally brought in for the team’s front office.
Ham and Budenholzer worked together with the Hawks from 2013 until 2015. Ham left to become head coach of the Chicago Bulls before returning to Atlanta again. Two seasons later, he moved to the Milwaukee Bucks, his former team.
Ham started with the Lakers in the 2022-23 season, which saw them reach the Western Conference finals, where they lost out. Last season's team won the In-Season Tournament for the first time. Unfortunately, they weren't consistent and ended up with just 47 wins out of 82 games played.
The team's postseason journey was cut short when the Denver Nuggets defeated them in five games during the round. Throughout the year, Ham received backlash for his choices and challenges in inspiring a squad led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis.