Darvin Ham’s NBA coaching career has been something of a whirlwind.
He was an assistant coach for over a decade, hoping to get an opportunity to become a head coach.
After bouncing around to a few different teams, Ham got his chance with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Despite the Lakers making it to the playoffs in their first two seasons under Ham, the front office decided he wasn’t what they were looking for.
They fired him shortly after the season ended, leaving him without a job.
A recent report from Marc Stein via NBA Central indicated that the Phoenix Suns were interested in adding Ham to their staff, but he reportedly turned it down.
Phoenix recently contacted Darvin Ham, per @TheSteinLine
“League sources say Budenholzer made a run at trying to convince Darvin Ham to join his staff in Phoenix, but Ham — fired as Lakers coach on May 3 — is said to have understandably passed after two exacting seasons in… pic.twitter.com/KhJ6FTprNo
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 2, 2024
This would have been an opportunity for Ham to reunite with Mike Budenholzer, who recently took over the head coaching gig in Phoenix.
Budenholzer and Ham worked together at the Milwaukee Bucks, but Ham turned the offer down for reasons that are currently unknown.
Whether he is holding out for another head coaching job remains to be seen, but for now, he is without a job in the NBA.
Professional sports can be a brutal place to have a job.
When things are going well, coaches seem to be on top of the world, but when things are going poorly, they are often the quickest to be shown the door.
Ham had a great opportunity in Los Angeles, especially given the fact he had LeBron James and Anthony Davis on his roster, but just as quickly as he got the job, it was taken away.
NEXT: Analyst Reveals Why Suns Have Interest In Bronny James
