Giannis Antetokounmpo on Darvin Ham: He’s the right fit for Lakers

HoopsHype
·8 min read

Adrian Wojnarowski: On the Lakers hiring of Bucks assistant Darvin Ham, Giannis Antetokounmpo tells ESPN: “I’m so happy for him. He’s the right fit for them. He keeps it real with you. No BS at all. It’s about damn time. He deserves it more than anyone.”
Source: Twitter @wojespn

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
On the Lakers hiring of Bucks assistant Darvin Ham, Giannis Antetokounmpo tells ESPN: “I’m so happy for him. He’s the right fit for them. He keeps it real with you. No BS at all. It’s about damn time. He deserves it more than anyone.” – 11:28 PM

Tommy Beer @TommyBeer
Most playoff game with at least 40 points and 5 assists over the last three years:
Luka: 7
Jimmy Butler: 5
Giannis: 4 – 11:25 PM

StatMuse @statmuse
Most 40-point games this playoffs:
4 — Jimmy Butler
3 — Luka Doncic
3 — Giannis Antetokounmpo pic.twitter.com/TPZZzc66CA – 11:01 PM

Henry Abbott @TrueHoop
On Darvin Ham: a very common kind of NBA basketball play is called “Hammer Action.” It’s named for this man.
Which is amazing. A ham is pork. A hammer is a 🔨. That’s a lot of work, and new Lakers coach did it. youtu.be/NovjSBDLc1Q – 10:55 PM

Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwill
New for ⁦@YahooSports⁩: League exec on Lakers hiring Darvin Ham: “If you look around the league now, the coaches who are having successes — Kerr, Monty, Willie Green —excellent knowledge but an ability to connect and hold [players] accountable.” sports.yahoo.com/why-lakers-cho… – 10:41 PM

Michael Lee @MrMichaelLee
My first year covering the NBA, I connected with a journeyman glue guy who everybody in the Hawks locker room liked & respected. He’d break down plays for me. We’d debate hip hop & discuss world events. He knew his stuff. Twenty years later, Darvin Ham is head coach of the Lakers – 10:35 PM

Bill Simmons @BillSimmons
Really liked the Darvin Ham hire by the Lakers. Wish I could make fun of it and I can’t. Hopefully they’ll give me stuff to make fun of next month. – 10:04 PM

Jim Owczarski @JimOwczarski
Los Angeles reaches a deal with former #Bucks assistant Darvin Ham to be the #Lakers new head coach jsonline.com/story/sports/n… via ⁦@journalsentinel⁩ – 9:58 PM

Melissa Rohlin @melissarohlin
I think Darvin Ham was the right choice for the Lakers. He has a commanding presence, superstar experience and he’s hungry to prove himself as a head cosch. LeBron won a title before with a first-year head coach in Ty Lue. – 9:54 PM

Bill Oram @billoram
Initial reaction to the Lakers decision to hire Darvin Ham: theathletic.com/news/lakers-da… – 9:44 PM

Ryan Ward @RyanWardLA
And this was against a stacked North Carolina squad team headlined by Vince Carter and former Laker Antawn Jamison (both in this gif) – Darvin Ham shattering the backboard in college: pic.twitter.com/xv6Byya309 – 9:44 PM

Ryan Ward @RyanWardLA
This is my first memory of new Lakers head coach Darvin Ham… At the time (still is in my opinion), it was dope!! pic.twitter.com/z7LB8tNj20 – 9:39 PM

Chuck Cooperstein @coopmavs
Congrats to the former @TexasTechMBB backboard breaker Darvin Ham as he takes over @NBAs most glamorous franchise. A really good guy who has waited a LONG time for his chance. – 9:21 PM

StatMuse @statmuse
LeBron James now has played for 3 coaches that he played against:
— Ty Lue
— Luke Walton
— Darvin Ham pic.twitter.com/vFWYUrIwq0 – 9:21 PM

Eric Pincus @EricPincus
I had Darvin Ham as the best fit of the three final Lakers candidates bleacherreport.com/articles/10036… – 9:19 PM

Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
ESPN story on the Los Angeles Lakers hiring Darvin Ham on a four-deal as the franchise’s new coach: es.pn/3PKqNP1 – 9:10 PM

Brad Turner @BA_Turner
Lakers hire Bucks assistant Darvin Ham as coach latimes.com/sports/lakers/… – 9:00 PM

John Hollinger @johnhollinger
Darvin Ham is now the Lakers’ third-youngest player. – 8:59 PM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Report: Lakers hiring Darvin Ham as coach nba.nbcsports.com/2022/05/27/rep… – 8:56 PM

Matt Babcock @MattBabcock11
I first met Darvin Ham when he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1999. He is one of my favorite people that has come through the organization since my dad started working there. Darvin is a true competitor with grit but also a great guy. The Lakers made a great hire! #lakeshow pic.twitter.com/3Hw8k9WFYb – 8:53 PM

Janis Carr @janiscarr
Raise your hand if you thought you would be raising a glass to Darvin Ham today? – 8:48 PM

Micah Adams @MicahAdams13
LeBron James and Darvin Ham. pic.twitter.com/tpLfl5HX69 – 8:44 PM

Arash Markazi @ArashMarkazi
Darvin Ham was the best candidate to be the head coach of the Lakers. He was a champion as a player, a champion as an assistant coach, had experience coaching the Lakers and has the respect of the players. He checked every box the team had. Great hire. – 8:43 PM

Austin Kent @AustinKent
All Lakers fans need to know about Darvin Ham is that he competed in the 1997 NBA Slam Dunk Contest against Kobe Bryant. (As the replacement player for Allen Iverson) #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/5pAtPFsxn1 – 8:42 PM

Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpears
With the hiring of Darvin Ham as the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers via @Adrian Wojnarowski, half of the 30 head coaches in the NBA are now black. With Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra (Asian), 16 of the NBA head coaches are of color. The Charlotte Hornets still have an opening. pic.twitter.com/QBObPk82Q6 – 8:40 PM

Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
As discussed on @SpectrumSN & @TheHerd, Darvin Ham was the Lakers’ best choice as head coach. He earned respect during assistant coaching gigs w/ Lakers, Hawks & Bucks w/ NBA experience, holding players accountable & want to learn. – 8:38 PM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Darvin Ham about to show Anthony Davis all of those head-to-heads between him and Giannis… pic.twitter.com/MvBRrvDzml – 8:36 PM

Chris Mannix @SIChrisMannix
Darvin Ham is an excellent hire for the Lakers. Widely respected as an assistant, paid his dues. Has an Ime Udoka-like background (ex-player, longtime assistant). Could be a Udoka-level coach. – 8:35 PM

Jonathan Feigen @Jonathan_Feigen
Happy for Darvin Ham, as so many will be. Smashing good news. pic.twitter.com/EM0iztmqFQ – 8:34 PM

Bill Oram @billoram
Can confirm that the Lakers have hired Darvin Ham as the franchise’s next head coach. More to come @TheAthletic – 8:33 PM

Beto Duran @DuranSports
New #Lakers coach Darvin Ham went from Otero JUCO (Colorado) > Texas Tech > NBA champion with Pistons.
Also Played in Granada 🇪🇸 and
Philippines 🇵🇭 – 8:32 PM

Mark Montieth @MarkMontieth
Lakers coach Darvin Ham played 1 game for the @Indiana Pacers in April, ’97 after being acquired from Denver. Played 4 minutes, 54 seconds if you’re scoring at home. Best known at the time for having broken a backboard at Texas Tech. Rick Carlisle called his dunks “Ham Slamwiches.” pic.twitter.com/vdJLBLZjWb – 8:32 PM

Dan Favale @danfavale
sixers fans seeing the lakers get darvin ham instead of doc rivers pic.twitter.com/ibbDXwcJqO – 8:30 PM

Kane Pitman @KanePitman
Pumped for Darvin Ham. Finally gets his opportunity. – 8:26 PM

Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
Sources: The Los Angeles Lakers are hiring Bucks assistant Darvin Ham on a four-year contract. – 8:25 PM

Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
The Lakers have hired Darvin Ham as coach, sources tell ESPN. – 8:23 PM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
After pricy dinner out in Los Angeles, Antetokounmpo jokes “This city’s not for me” nba.nbcsports.com/2022/05/27/aft… – 12:08 PM

Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
My All-NBA 1st team: Booker, Morant, DeRozan, Antetokounmpo and Embiid.
Final All-NBA 1st team: Booker, Doncic, Tatum, Antetokounmpo and Jokic.
My DPOY: Bridges. NBA: Smart.
My Most Improved: Maxey. NBA: Morant.
My 6th Man: Herro. NBA: Same.
Thoughts? https://t.co/0pYEpU8IIU pic.twitter.com/d4oHkDtQTR – 6:40 PM

John Hollinger @johnhollinger
Giannis Alhorfordekoumnpo – 10:06 PM

Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
All five 2021-22 All-NBA First Team selections are 27 years old or younger:
Luka Doncic, 23
Jayson Tatum, 24
Devin Booker, 25
Nikola Jokic, 27
Giannis Antetokounmpo, 27
It’s the first time that’s happened since the 1954-55 season (Cousy, Foust, Johnston, Pettit, and Schayes). pic.twitter.com/bVRSegYINd – 10:11 AM

Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
Antetokounmpo, Dončić, Jokić lead All-NBA First Team. zagsblog.com/2022/05/25/ant… – 7:30 AM

Emiliano Carchia @Sportando
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic lead 2021-22 Kia All-NBA 1st Team
sportando.basketball/en/giannis-ant… – 1:29 AM

More on this storyline

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. -via Yahoo! Sports / May 27, 2022

“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.” -via Yahoo! Sports / May 27, 2022

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.” -via Yahoo! Sports / May 27, 2022

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