Breaking: The former head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks has announced his return.

Breaking: The former head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks has announced his return.

Under Doc Rivers’ direction, former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham is expected to rejoin the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN first revealed this development. For Ham, it’s a homecoming. Ham was the Bucks’ assistant coach from 2018 to 2022.

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Charles Barkley, trying to move past the Lakers’ defeat, threatened to hit a fan of Luka Doncic.
After two seasons, Ham was fired by the Lakers in May. He is now back in Milwaukee.

During his time in Los Angeles, he had both significant setbacks and triumphs.

In his debut season, Ham had a 2-10 record and struggled to get the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals, where they were finally fallen short to the eventual NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets.

Ham left the Lakers in 2024, though, as a result of the team’s early playoff exit.

Alongside this change, the NBA has made other important coaching selections.

Notably, Dan Hurley—who was tipped to be a contender for the Lakers’ head coaching job—has chosen to stay at UConn instead of accepting a large offer from the Lakers in order to help the Huskies win an NCAA championship for the third time in a row.

Ham had a successful history with the Bucks.
As a member of the coaching staff, Ham helped Milwaukee win its first NBA championship in fifty years in 2021.

Prior to beginning his coaching career, Ham was a player for the Bucks from 1999 to 2002 nine NBA seasons as a player, winning a 2004 championship with the Detroit Pistons.

The Bucks hope to win another title by utilizing Ham’s expertise and familiarity with the squad under the direction of Doc Rivers, who was named head coach in January.

As second in command under seasoned coach Rivers (who has a championship record), Ham will be able to play to his strengths as a tactician and motivator.

Supporters may anticipate witnessing how Ham’s comeback will affect the team’s chemistry and output as the Bucks get ready for the upcoming campaign.

His success with the Bucks in the past and his familiarity with the franchise will be important assets as they pursue another championship run.