Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers had a playful response when asked if his assistant coach Darvin Ham views Thursday’s matchup against the Lakers as ‘revenge.‘ Rivers joked, saying, “Yeah, he told me he wants to kick the Lakers’ ass.” Rivers and his team faced the Lakers on Thursday night for the second and final time of the regular season.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers asked if Darvin Ham views this game as a revenge game against the Lakers. Doc joked, “Yeah, he told me he wants to kick the Lakers’ ass.”
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) March 21, 2025
Doc Rivers Dismisses Darvin Ham’s Lakers Revenge Narrative
The Lakers entered Thursday’s contest against the Bucks shorthanded. L.A. was without four of its top players, including Luka Dončić, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Austin Reaves. Their matchup against the Bucks is the second night of a back-to-back for L.A. It is also their sixth game in eight nights.
Rivers’ comments come after Ham coached the Lakers for the last two seasons. Ham was hired by the Lakers in the summer of 2022 after L.A. let go of champion head coach Frank Vogel. For the Lakers, the thought process of hiring Ham was simple. The Lakers valued his championship pedigree as an assistant and player. He also could relate to players and was familiar with the franchise, particularly his time with the Lakers as a player. Ultimately, the Lakers were sold on his experience and toughness.
While Ham sold the front office, none of that translated for the Lakers in his two seasons at the helm. From the outside looking in, Ham was just fine in Los Angeles. Ham posted a 90-74 record at the helm over two seasons. He also did his part to help advance L.A. to the Western Conference Finals in 2023, their first appearance since the 2019-20 season. However, being eliminated by the Nuggets in the first round last season happened to be the final nail in the coffin for Ham’s time in L.A.
Ham consistently made puzzling decisions, both in terms of personnel and in-game strategy, often failing to make even the most basic adjustments. It became increasingly clear that the Lakers needed to move on—not just because of his questionable choices but also because he had lost the trust of the locker room. Once a head coach loses the team’s trust, there is usually no turning back. That was ultimately the case with Ham, leading the Lakers to part ways with him and turn to JJ Redick.
Darvin Ham Ripped Lakers in Fiery Rant After NBA Cup Win
After the Bucks won the NBA Cup title this season, Ham called out the Lakers. He said if he had done what he did in L.A. anywhere else, he would have received an extension.
“To do as well as I did, I swear to God, anywhere else I’m probably looking at an extension with what I did,” Ham said.“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.
“People always talk about us losing to Denver, but they never talk about how we got to Denver. We beat a kick-ass young squad in Memphis and we beat Golden State.”
While Ham did fine, it was not enough for the Lakers. Ham is proving his value as one of the top assistants on a competitive Bucks squad. Whether he remains an assistant or lands another head coaching job Ham will always have some extra motivation going against the Lakers.
Photo credit: © Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The post Doc Rivers Dismisses Darvin Ham’s Lakers Revenge Narrative appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.