Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta Sandiford-Artest had some major praise for new Lakers head coach Darvin Ham.
Sandiford-Artest explained to the Los Angeles Times how Ham always has his players’ best interests at heart, which will certainly be important for the Lakers in the 2022-23 season.
“He was working hard, working all the players out, worked me out,” Sandiford-Artest said regarding the impact Ham made as a Lakers assistant many years ago. “He worked out everybody. He was involved heavy and was very direct; very, very direct, which I really loved.
“… He definitely understands modern basketball. He also is capable of communicating in a way where you can receive it the right way. He’s definitely a presence, but he also has a communication about him that is, I’m not going to say soft, but you understand that he has your best interest at heart.”
Ham was an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks for the last four seasons. He also played in the NBA for eight seasons on several different teams from the 1996-97 season through the 2004-05 season.
The first-time head coach is coming back to where his NBA coaching career started in Los Angeles. From 2011 to 2013, Ham served as an assistant coach for the Lakers. Throughout his coaching career, he also spent time with the Atlanta Hawks.
The Lakers are hoping that Ham’s voice will help turn the team around after a rough 2021-22 season. The Lakers missed the playoffs and the league’s play-in tournament, as they never were able to mesh with Russell Westbrook on the roster.
Ham will certainly need LeBron James and Anthony Davis to stay healthy to make a playoff run in the 2022-23 season, but Sandiford-Artest clearly thinks the former Bucks assistant is the right man for the job.
Ham’s story with the Lakers certainly is a cool one, as he is fulfilling his dream of becoming an NBA head coach and doing so with one of the league’s most storied franchises. The Lakers hope that the partnership will pay dividends.
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