Former Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham is making a return to Milwaukee, now as the lead assistant on Doc Rivers’ coaching staff.
This move was reported by Adrian Wojnarowski. Before his two-year stint in Los Angeles, Ham spent nine years working under Mike Budenholzer, including four years as the lead assistant with the Bucks. Additionally, Ham’s playing career included three seasons with Milwaukee from 1999 to 2002.
In late May, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater mentioned that Ham had discussions with the Golden State Warriors about potentially joining Steve Kerr’s coaching staff. Shortly after, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported that Ham declined an offer to rejoin Budenholzer with the Phoenix Suns.
Doc Rivers took over the head coach position in Milwaukee in January after Adrian Griffin was dismissed just 43 games into his tenure. Rivers’ initial coaching staff included a mix of holdovers like Joe Prunty, Vin Baker, Patrick Mutombo, and Trevor Gleeson, along with new additions such as Dave Joerger, Rex Kalamian, and Pete Dominguez.
During his first year as a head coach in the NBA, Ham led the Lakers to the conference finals in the 2022-23 season, finishing with a 43-39 regular-season record. However, after a 47-35 record and a first-round playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets in 2024, the Lakers decided to part ways with him.
