Darvin Ham Doesn’t Want To Struggle With Fear On Potential Last Day As Lakers Head Coach

Darvin Ham revealed his clear-headed approach for his publicly anticipated ‘last game’. Ever since he suited up for the Lakers as the head coach, fans and critics constantly placed him under the scanner. Moreover, the criticisms blew out of proportion this season and fans expect him to lose his job after the playoffs exit. Tonight, they take the Nuggets in a do-or-die game. Amid all the chaos, Ham revealed his ‘glass half full’ approach to the game.

With, both, the Lakers’ postseason and his coaching job on the line, Ham didn’t have fear as he answered. He spoke to the press ahead of the game, saying, “You just have to see the glass half full… You embrace the joy of competition. You don’t struggle with the stress of fear. It’s basketball. As long as you go out there and put your best before, you can live with any result.” He further stressed having fun and embracing the competition.

The Darvin Ham hate isn’t only from the fans but from the Lakers’ roster to some extent. There were multiple rumors about the Lakers players not wanting the 50-year-old coach. On top of it, superstar LeBron James left the NBA world scratching their head amid a regular season slump. James sent out a Big Apple post on X ahead of the NY Knicks, leaving everyone intrigued. However, it was all squashed when the team got back to winning ways.

Nevertheless, they have another embarrassment in front of them: the 11 straight losses against the Nuggets. Apart from sweeping Ham’s Lakers 4-0 in the West Finals, they have continued to dominate the LA side since then. Tonight, the Denver side has another opportunity to sweep the series and make it a 12-game streak.

Ahead of the Game, Darvin Ham seemed confident about the side as he laid out the road after the Game 3 loss. He said, “You have to do a better job of staying focused, staying positive throughout it all. Again, you have those disappointment moments…that disappointment can spill over two, three, four possessions.”

LeBron James’ last chance with the Lakers?

King James has been playing under immense pressure throughout his 21st season. The team struggled to find wins and was almost kicked out of the postseason qualification. Despite qualifying, the superstar had his first round set up against Nikola Jokic & Co. Amid going 0-3 in the series; there isn’t any surety that James could repeat any of his success from previous seasons.

King James’ has his player option in the off-season and could decide to move out of the Lakers because of his son, Bronny James. After an underwhelming freshman year in college basketball, Bronny signed up for both the 2024 NBA draft and college transfer. His dad has already expressed his wish to play alongside his son in the NBA, so this could very much be the superstar’s last year with the Lakers.

Update: LeBron James and Co. managed to pull off a win with a 119-108 scoreline. The veteran himself made a 30-point contribution, along with 25 from AD, and 21 each from D’Lo and Reaves! That means the first-round series will be forced to a Game 5, opening a mere pocket of hope for a Lakers salvation.