Darvin Ham

Last updated

Darvin Ham
Darvin Ham White House 2021.jpg
Ham in 2021
Personal information
Born (1973-07-23) July 23, 1973 (age 50)
Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High school Saginaw (Saginaw, Michigan)
College
NBA draft 1996: undrafted
Playing career1996–2008
Position Small forward
Number35, 31, 21, 8
Coaching career2008–present
Career history
As player:
1996–1997 Denver Nuggets
1997 Indiana Pacers
1997–1998 Washington Wizards
1999 CB Granada
1999–2002 Milwaukee Bucks
2002–2003 Atlanta Hawks
2003–2005 Detroit Pistons
2006 Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
2007–2008 Albuquerque Thunderbirds
2008 Austin Toros
As coach:
2008–2010 Albuquerque Thunderbirds (assistant)
2010–2011 New Mexico Thunderbirds
2011–2013 Los Angeles Lakers (assistant)
2013–2018 Atlanta Hawks (assistant)
2018–2022 Milwaukee Bucks (assistant)
2022–2024 Los Angeles Lakers
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As head coach:

As assistant coach:

Career NBA statistics
Points 1,139 (2.7 ppg)
Rebounds 963 (2.3 rpg)
Assists 229 (0.5 apg)
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at NBA.com
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at Basketball-Reference.com

Darvin Ham Sr. (born July 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as the head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers. He played college basketball for the Texas Tech Red Raiders before playing nine seasons in the NBA from 1996 to 2005. He won an NBA championship playing with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. Ham also had a brief international experience in Spain and later in the Philippines, as well as in the NBA Development League in 2007 and 2008. As an assistant coach, he won a second championship in 2021 with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Contents

College career

After attending Saginaw High School Ham went to Texas Tech University in 1993. While playing for the Red Raiders, he gained national attention by shattering the backboard on a slam dunk during the 1996 NCAA Tournament against North Carolina. The dunk shifted momentum for Texas Tech, catapulting them to the first Sweet Sixteen in school history. The dunk was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated . [1]

Ham won the NCAA slam dunk contest in 1996, following former college teammate Lance Hughes' win in 1995. In his 90-game college career, he averaged 8.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.5 turnovers in 22.9 minutes, on top of .597 FG and .498 FT shooting. [2]

Professional playing career

Ham in 2005 Darvin Ham.jpg
Ham in 2005

Ham was signed by the Denver Nuggets as a free agent on October 1, 1996. He was then traded by Denver [3] to the Indiana Pacers for Jerome Allen in February 1997. Ham then signed as free agent with the Washington Wizards (1997), Milwaukee Bucks (1999), Atlanta Hawks (2002) and Detroit Pistons (2003). In his eight-season 417-game NBA career, he averaged 2.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 fouls in 12.4 minutes, on top of .518 FG shooting, though he was not an outside threat, making only 4 3-point field goals in his career.

Ham competed in the 1997 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, and was a member of the 2004 NBA champion Detroit Pistons. His powerful slams earned him the nicknames "Dunkin Darvin" and "Ham Slamwich", as a fan favorite when playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, that carried on into the rest of his career. In his first postseason in Milwaukee, Ham started all five games of the Bucks’ 3-2 first round loss to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers, while averaging 5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. [4] During his time in Milwaukee, Ham became the namesake of the "Hammer play", now a widespread NBA offensive concept. [5]

In 2005, Ham was a participant in the Basketball Without Borders program that was located in Johannesburg, South Africa [6] and later in 2015 he participated in the Dominican Republic.

On January 17, 2006, Ham was enlisted by the Philippine Basketball Association team Talk 'N Text Phone Pals as its replacement import for Damian Cantrell. [7] He only played three games, averaging 16.7 points in the 2006 PBA Fiesta Conference Playoffs, as the Phone Pals eventually lost to Air21 Express in the series, 2–3. [8]

In 2006, Ham served as a studio analyst for Fox Sports Southwest's coverage of the Dallas Mavericks' playoff run. He then became a member of the Orlando Magic summer league team in the Pepsi Pro Summer League from July 10–14, 2006. Ham later on appeared in the 2006 preseason with the New Jersey Nets.

In 2007, Ham had a preseason stint with the Mavericks but was waived on October 24, 2007. [9] [10] He was then drafted third overall in the 2007 NBA D-League draft by the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. [11] On April 4, 2008, the Thunderbirds traded Ham to the Austin Toros. [12]

Coaching career

Assistant coach (2008–2022)

In October 2008, Ham was named an assistant coach for the Thunderbirds. [13] He later served as their head coach. In October 2011, he became an assistant coach on Mike Brown's staff with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he worked with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Dwight Howard in a player development role. [14]

In 2013, he joined the Atlanta Hawks' coaching staff. [15] He helped the Hawks reach the playoffs in four consecutive seasons including making it to the Eastern Conference finals in 2015. In 2014 and 2015, Ham was part of the coaching staff that led the Atlanta Hawks to a divisional title and the number 1 seed in the 2015 Eastern Conference Playoffs. Along with his help in bringing Atlanta to the playoffs, he also assisted four of their starting five into becoming 2015 NBA All-Stars. He also was heavily involved in the development of young players such as Dennis Schroder and Taurean Prince.

On June 7, 2018, Ham followed Mike Budenholzer to the Milwaukee Bucks, [16] [17] where during the 2018–2019 season, Budenholzer won the NBA's Coach of the Year award. Ham helped lead the team to its best record since 1972. In 2020–21, Ham helped coach Milwaukee to its second NBA title in franchise history, beating the Phoenix Suns in six games in the 2021 NBA Finals for their first championship since 1971.

Los Angeles Lakers (2022–2024)

Ham was hired as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers on June 3, 2022. [18] In his first season as head coach, Ham and the Lakers started off with a record of 2–10 before qualifying for the 2023 NBA playoffs as the 7-seed. From there, they reached the Western Conference finals, becoming the second 7-seed in NBA history to reach the conference finals, before getting swept by the eventual champion Denver Nuggets. [19] On December 9, 2023, Ham and the Lakers won the inaugural season of the NBA In-Season Tournament. They again qualified for the 2024 NBA playoffs as the 7-seed, where they lost in the first round in five games to the Nuggets, as they failed to protect a double-digit lead in all four of their losses in the series, including a 20-point second-half lead in Game 2. [20] Following their playoff exit, Ham was dismissed on May 3, 2024 after two seasons with the Lakers. [21] [22]

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high
 † Won an NBA championship

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
1996–97 Denver 3538.9.525.000.4851.60.40.20.22.3
1996–97 Indiana 105.01.000.000.5000.00.01.00.03.0
1997–98 Washington 7138.9.529.000.4731.80.20.30.42.0
1999–00 Milwaukee 352122.6.555.000.4494.91.20.80.85.1
2000–01 Milwaukee 291318.6.488.667.5924.20.90.60.73.8
2001–02 Milwaukee 70217.3.569.143.5042.91.00.40.54.3
2002–03 Atlanta 75112.3.447.000.4812.00.50.20.32.4
2003–04† Detroit 5429.0.493.500.6001.70.30.20.11.8
2004–05 Detroit 4705.9.459.000.3870.70.10.10.11.0
Career4174512.4.518.250.4942.30.50.30.42.7

Playoffs

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
1999–00 Milwaukee 5528.8.647.000.3335.81.40.21.65.0
2000–01 Milwaukee 1469.4.600.000.5501.40.40.30.52.1
2003–04† Detroit 2204.9.500.000.0000.60.00.10.20.7
2004–05 Detroit 1401.7.333.0001.0000.20.00.00.00.3
Career55117.4.569.000.5161.20.20.10.31.3

Personal life

Ham is the son of Wilmer Jones-Ham, the first female mayor of Saginaw, serving from 2001 to 2005. [23] When Ham was 14 years old, in 1988, he survived a gunshot wound to his face and neck. [24]

Ham is married and his wife also went to Texas Tech. [25]

His son, Darvin Ham Jr., played for Northwood University, and was an assistant coach at Northwood for 4 years, through the 2021–22 season. [26] [27] [28] As of the 2022–23 season, Ham Jr. is an assistant coach for the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League. [29]

Ham is a Christian. Ham has said, “First of all, I want to thank God. Coming from where I come from, I was raised in a household with strong, spiritual faith, belief in God and his Son Jesus Christ, so I want to start with that. Everything I’ve been able to overcome in my life, along with the people around me, it's been that spirit that was instilled in me as a youngster.” [30]

In June 2011, Ham traveled to Venezuela as a SportsUnited Sports Envoy for the U.S. Department of State. In this function, he worked with Kayte Christensen to conduct basketball clinics for 300 youth from underserved areas and met with Venezuelan sports officials. In so doing, Ham helped contribute to SportsUnited's mission to promote greater international understanding and inclusion through sport. [31] He then followed up on these efforts and conducted a second set of clinics for more than 200 youth in Myanmar. This was the first State Department-sponsored sports exchange with Myanmar. [32]

Head coaching record

Legend
Regular seasonGGames coachedWGames wonLGames lostW–L %Win–loss %
PlayoffsPGPlayoff gamesPWPlayoff winsPLPlayoff lossesPW–L %Playoff win–loss %
TeamYearGWLW–L%FinishPGPWPLPW–L%Result
L.A. Lakers 2022–23 824339.5245th in Pacific 1688.500Lost in Conference finals
L.A. Lakers 2023–24 824735.5733rd in Pacific 514.200Lost in First round
Career1649074.549 21912.429 

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta Hawks</span> National Basketball Association team in Atlanta, Georgia

The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at State Farm Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milwaukee Bucks</span> National Basketball Association team in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and plays at Fiserv Forum. Former U.S. Senator Herb Kohl was the long-time owner of the team, but on April 16, 2014, a group led by billionaire hedge fund managers Wes Edens and Marc Lasry agreed to purchase a majority interest in the team from Kohl, a sale which was approved by the owners of the NBA and its Board of Governors one month later on May 16. The team is managed by Jon Horst, the team's former director of basketball operations, who took over for John Hammond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Van Exel</span> American basketball coach and former player

Nickey Maxwell Van Exel is an American professional basketball coach and former player who last served as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Van Exel played for six NBA teams from 1993 through 2006. He was an NBA All-Star with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Del Harris</span> American basketball coach (born 1937)

Delmer William Harris is an American basketball coach who is currently the vice president of the Texas Legends, the NBA G League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks. He served as a head coach for the NBA's Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Los Angeles Lakers, as well as the Legends. He was also an assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's New Jersey Nets, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Houston Rockets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Stotts</span> American basketball coach and former player

Terry Linn Stotts is an American former professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 2012 to 2021 before most recently spending an offseason as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sidney Moncrief</span> American basketball player-coach

Sidney Alvin Moncrief is an American former professional basketball player. As an NCAA college basketball player from 1975 to 1979, Moncrief played for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, leading them to the 1978 Final Four and a win in the NCAA Consolation Game versus #6 Notre Dame. Nicknamed Sid the Squid, Sir Sid, and El Sid, Moncrief went on to play 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association, including ten seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. He was a five-time NBA All-Star and won the first two NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1983 and 1984. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Pressey</span> American basketball player

Paul Matthew Pressey is an American former professional basketball player who was also an assistant coach for seven different National Basketball Association (NBA) teams. Pressey is widely credited as being one of the initial point forwards, combining the attributes of a point guard and forward.

Charles Lee is an American professional basketball coach and former player who serves as an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He will continue to coach with the Celtics until the conclusion of their season in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, when he will become the head coach for the Charlotte Hornets. A 6'3" guard from Bucknell University, he spent most of his professional career in Israel and Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. R. Reid</span> American basketball player (born 1968)

Herman "J. R." Reid Jr. is an American basketball coach and former professional player who was an assistant coach for the Monmouth Hawks men's basketball team. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Charlotte Hornets, San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers. Reid played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels and was a consensus first-team All-American as a sophomore in 1988. He won a bronze medal as a member of the United States national team at the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Joe Prunty is an American professional basketball coach who is an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Previously, he served as an assistant coach and interim head coach for the Atlanta Hawks. He was also the head coach of the Great Britain national team from June 2013 until September 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Budenholzer</span> American basketball coach (born 1969)

Michael Vincent Budenholzer is an American professional basketball coach who is the head coach of the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The 2010–11 NBA Development League season is the tenth season of the NBA Development League. The NBA D-League is the official minor league basketball organization owned and run by the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league was formed in 2001 as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL). The league adopted the "NBA D-League" name in 2005 to reflect its close affiliation with the NBA. One expansion franchise, the Texas Legends, joined the 15 returning teams from the previous season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khris Middleton</span> American basketball player (born 1991)

James Khristian Middleton is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a three-time NBA All-Star and won an NBA championship with the Bucks in 2021.

The 2001–02 NBA season was the Bucks' 34th season in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Bucks signed free agent Anthony Mason to shore up their front line. After advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals last year, the Bucks got off to a solid start winning nine of their first ten games, but then lost five straight afterwards. The team posted an 8-game winning streak in January, which led them to a division-leading record of 26–13 as of January 21, and held a 28–18 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team signed free agent Greg Anthony, who was previously released by the Chicago Bulls. However, with a 35–25 record as of March 6, the Bucks would struggle and proceed to lose 16 of their final 22 games and miss the playoffs, finishing fifth in the Central Division with a 41–41 record, thanks to an embarrassing 123–89 road loss to the Detroit Pistons to close out the season. This was one of the biggest late-season collapses for a team that was contending for a Division title in March.

Joshua Longstaff is an American basketball coach. He is an assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association. He was previously the head coach of the Erie BayHawks, and an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks, Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The 2018–19 NBA season was the 73rd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 16, 2018, and ended on April 10, 2019. The 2019 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 17, 2019, at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The playoffs began on April 13, 2019 and ended on June 13 with the Toronto Raptors defeating the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the 2019 NBA Finals.

Taylor Vetter Jenkins is an American professional basketball coach who is the head coach for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The 2021 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2020–21 season. With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the NBA for the second consecutive year, the regular season was reduced to 72 games for each team and the start date of the playoffs was moved from its usual time in mid-April to May 22, 2021. It ended with the 2021 NBA Finals in July.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Sullivan (basketball)</span> American basketball coach

Ben Sullivan is an American basketball coach and former player who is currently an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was previously an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA. A former center at Cal State Northridge and the University of Portland, Sullivan has primarily served as a shooting coach during his NBA coaching career.

References

  1. ↑ "Darvin Ham continues to relish Texas Tech roots". lubbockonline.com Retrieved on July 17, 2021.
  2. ↑ Darvin Ham NBA & ABA Statistics. Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved on November 22, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Darvin Ham career stats". TSN. Archived from the original on September 10, 2011.
  4. ↑ 2000 NBA Eastern Conference First Round Bucks vs. Pacers
  5. ↑ Falk, Ben (October 27, 2017). "Friday Film: Hammer, Marc, Weak". Cleaning the Glass. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  6. ↑ Harvey, Mark (2017). Celebrity Influence: Politics, Persuasion, and Issue-based Advocacy. University Press of Kansas. p. 164. ISBN   9780700624980.
  7. ↑ Pals take former Piston [ dead link ]
  8. ↑ Leongson, Randolph (May 28, 2022). "LOOKBACK: The PBA stint of incoming Lakers coach Darvin Ham". Spin.ph. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Mavericks waive Ham and Newson". Yahoo!. October 24, 2007. Archived from the original on October 27, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
  10. ↑ "Darvin Ham game log". NBA. Archived from the original on May 1, 2008.
  11. ↑ Murrieta, J. P (November 1, 2007). "Albuquerque Thunderbirds draft Texas Tech product". KOB.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
  12. ↑ Thunderbirds trade their #1 draft pick Archived January 12, 2016, at the Wayback Machine . Kob.com. Retrieved on November 22, 2011.
  13. ↑ The Albuquerque Thunderbirds Welcome Their 2008–2009 Coaching Staff Archived December 17, 2009, at the Wayback Machine . Nba.com (November 27, 2009). Retrieved on November 22, 2011.
  14. ↑ Lakers hire Darvin Ham, espn.com
  15. ↑ "Darvin Ham Returns to Hawks Organization as Assistant Coach - THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE ATLANTA HAWKS". www.nba.com.
  16. ↑ "Bucks Name Assistant Coaching Staff". NBA.com. June 7, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer fills staff with ex-Hawks". NBA.com. June 7, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Lakers Announce Hiring of Darvin Ham as Head Coach". NBA.com. June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  19. ↑ Zillgitt, Jeff. "Darvin Ham out as Lakers coach after two seasons, per reports". usatoday.com. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  20. ↑ McMenamin, Dave. "Lakers fire coach Darvin Ham after 2 seasons, sources tell ESPN". abc30.com. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Lakers part ways with coach Darvin Ham after 2 seasons". NBA.com. May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  22. ↑ Dave McMenamin (May 3, 2024). "Lakers fire head coach Darvin Ham after 2 seasons". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  23. ↑ Saginaw Government website Archived April 23, 2016, at the Wayback Machine . Saginaw-mi.com (November 12, 2001). Retrieved on November 22, 2011.
  24. ↑ Woike, Dan (December 11, 2022). "Darvin Ham survived the streets, a stray bullet and intense grief to coach the Lakers". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Faces In The Crowd: Darvin Ham - Texas Tech University - Texas Tech Athletics". www.texastech.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2012. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  26. ↑ Bridgeport senior Darvin Ham gives verbal commitment to play basketball for Northwood University – MLive.com. Highschoolsports.mlive.com (February 23, 2010). Retrieved on November 22, 2011.
  27. ↑ "Former Bridgeport star Darvin Ham develops into versatile forward for Northwood". February 7, 2012.
  28. ↑ "Assistant Coach Darvin Ham". Northwood University Athletics. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  29. ↑ "Charge Finalize Coaching Staff for 2022-23 Season". Charge Basketball. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  30. ↑ Claybourn, Cole (June 7, 2022). "New Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham: God is 'the master of all plans'". Sports Spectrum. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  31. ↑ "Basketball Players to Visit Venezuela as Sports Envoys | IIP Digital". iipdigital.usembassy.gov. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  32. ↑ "US sends basketball players to Burma". The Telegraph. August 26, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.