Lakers receive permission to interview Bucks assistant Darvin Ham
The Lakers have been given permission to interview Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to the Los Angeles Times on Friday afternoon.
Long regarded as one of the top assistant coaches in basketball, Ham has been with the Bucks since 2018, winning a title with the team last season. He won a title as a player with the Detroit Pistons in 2004.
Ham previously worked for the Lakers in 2011 as a member of then-coach Mike Brown’s staff.
He played in 417 career games with Denver, Indiana, Washington, Milwaukee, Atlanta and Detroit. As a player, he’s most famously known for shattering a backboard in the NCAA tournament against North Carolina, a moment immortalized on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Ham is the first known target for the Lakers head coaching job, a vacancy created when the team fired Frank Vogel following a 33-49 season.
Ham has been linked to head-coaching jobs the last three years, either interviewing for or being considered for openings in Cleveland, Chicago, Minnesota, Boston, Indiana and Washington.
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Ham interviewed with the Clippers two years ago before the team hired Tyronn Lue, with Ham leaving a strong impression, according to those with knowledge of the situation. He’s also expected to be a candidate for Sacramento’s head coaching job.
The Bucks face the Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals, which open Sunday in Boston.
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