The Darvin Ham saga was short-lived and something the Lakers aren’t particularly proud of. It received widespread criticism, with even the stars hesitant to fully support the former head coach. However, that doesn’t change the fact that Ham led the franchise to an NBA Cup victory. Now, as he adds another In-season cup win to his resume as the Bucks’ lead assistant coach, Ham revealed the kind of treatment he received from Lakers president Jeanie Buss and Co.

Reflecting on his last season’s win, Ham told Andscape, “To do as well as I did, I swear to God, anywhere else I’m probably looking at an extension with what I did.” He clarified, “I’m not talking about feelings. I’m talking actual facts. They go from not making it to the playoffs to the final four in the NBA, the conference finals. And then you win the in-season tournament, navigate through all the injuries, and win both of your play-in games to get to the playoffs.”

Ham didn’t hesitate to point out, “People always talk about us losing to Denver, but they never talk about how we got to Denver. We beat a kick-a** young squad in Memphis and we beat Golden State.”

The 51-year-old is certainly not wrong to highlight that he received a lot of criticism for losing to the Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference Finals. But didn’t get the credit he deserved from Jeanie Buss and the Lakers for beating the Grizzlies and Warriors on their way up.

Similarly, in the previous season, Ham helped the Lakers win the NBA Cup, but it was the Nuggets who blocked his path. This time in the first round of the 2024 playoffs. In fact, he was immediately removed from his responsibilities as the Purple and Gold’s head coach after the LA side’s loss. After getting fired from the Lakers, all Ham wanted was a brief break.

Darvin Ham opens up about rejecting an offer from the Phoenix Suns

The firing was a blow for Darvin Ham, something he wasn’t prepared for. And once it happened, he stepped back. Despite receiving a golden opportunity in May, soon after the termination, to assist the Suns’ new head coach and his “brother,” Mike Budenholzer, Ham had to pass on it. Explaining the reason for declining the offer, Ham said, “My mind wasn’t really into it. I was processing it for the most part. My mind wasn’t there.”

The pressure-filled situation in Los Angeles was already a lot for Ham to handle, so he needed time to be mentally prepared for the next challenge. “I needed some weeks to let everything calm down, settle down, and get some clarity on what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it,” Ham added. “And plus, [Budenholzer] was on a time crunch to put his staff together. The timing was off.”

Ham revealed that during that phase, he spent time with his wife in Montego Bay, met up with friends in Atlanta, visited his mother, and attended his son’s graduation in Milwaukee. While he was there, Ham visited his ex-GM, Jon Horst, which led to the opportunity for him to become the lead assistant coach. Although he wasn’t initially interested, he couldn’t turn down Doc Rivers, who was determined to have Ham on board. Now, the HC called Ham their “lucky charm” following the NBA Cup win. So, all’s well that ends well.