(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
After parting ways with head coach Frank Vogel in 2022, the Los Angeles Lakers chose to take a gamble on first-time head coach Darvin Ham, who had built up some coaching and championship experience under Mike Budenholzer with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Although Ham was able to lead the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals during the 2022-23 NBA season, the 2023-24 campaign didn’t end with promising results, as the team had to go through the Play-In Tournament once again and ended up losing to the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets in five games in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
As a result of failed expectations and losing the locker room, the Lakers fired Ham recently after only two seasons and are now on the lookout for a new leader on the sideline.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic via “Up & Adams,” ESPN’s JJ Redick is the current frontrunner to land the coaching job in Los Angeles.
“In some corners, (JJ Redick) is seen as the frontrunner for the Lakers job,” Charania said.
“In some corners, (JJ Redick) is seen as the front runner for the Lakers job.”
NBA Insider @ShamsCharania gives an update on the #Lakers head coaching search #LakeShow@heykayadams pic.twitter.com/9iRZEh3Oon
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) May 21, 2024
If Redick lands the Lakers job, it will be a second straight first-timer coaching the team that has title-contending aspirations in what could be the last couple of seasons of LeBron James’ career or time with the storied franchise.
Even though it seems like an unwise decision to bring in another unproven head coach, this time with zero coaching experience, the Lakers continue to consider hiring the former NBA player to be Ham’s successor, even though there could be some considerable backlash if he falls flat during his first coaching stint.
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