Darvin Ham facts for kids
Ham in 2021
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| Milwaukee Bucks | |
|---|---|
| Lead assistant coach | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | July 23, 1973 Saginaw, Michigan, U.S. |
| High school | Saginaw (Saginaw, Michigan) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
|
| NBA Draft | 1996 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 1996–2008 |
| Coaching career | 2008–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1996–1997 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1997 | Indiana Pacers |
| 1997–1998 | Washington Wizards |
| 1999 | CB Granada |
| 1999–2002 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2002–2003 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2003–2005 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2006 | Talk 'N Text Phone Pals |
| 2007–2008 | Albuquerque Thunderbirds |
| 2008 | Austin Toros |
| As coach: | |
| 2008–2010 | Albuquerque Thunderbirds (assistant) |
| 2010–2011 | New Mexico Thunderbirds |
| 2011–2013 | Los Angeles Lakers (assistant) |
| 2013–2018 | Atlanta Hawks (assistant) |
| 2018–2022 | Milwaukee Bucks (assistant) |
| 2022–2024 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2024–present | Milwaukee Bucks (lead assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As head coach:
As assistant coach:
|
|
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 1,139 (2.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 963 (2.3 rpg) |
| Assists | 229 (0.5 apg) |
Darvin Ham (born July 23, 1973) is a famous American basketball coach and a former player. He is currently a top assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He used to be the head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Darvin played college basketball for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. He then played nine seasons in the NBA from 1996 to 2005. He even won an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. Darvin also played basketball in other countries like Spain and the Philippines. As an assistant coach, he won another NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.
Contents
Darvin Ham's College Basketball Career
Darvin Ham went to Texas Tech University in 1993. While playing for the Red Raiders, he became very famous. He once shattered the backboard with a powerful slam dunk. This happened during the 1996 NCAA Tournament. The dunk was against the North Carolina team.
This amazing dunk changed the game for Texas Tech. It helped them reach the "Sweet Sixteen" for the first time ever. This is a big achievement in the NCAA Tournament. The picture of his dunk was even on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. In 1996, Darvin also won the NCAA slam dunk contest.
Darvin Ham's Professional Playing Career
Darvin Ham started his NBA career with the Denver Nuggets in 1996. He later played for several other teams. These included the Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, and Milwaukee Bucks. He also played for the Atlanta Hawks and the Detroit Pistons.
In 2004, Darvin Ham became an NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons. He was known for his strong dunks. Fans even called him "Dunkin Darvin" and "Ham Slamwich." While playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, he was part of a special play. This play is now known as the "Hammer play" in the NBA.
In 2005, Darvin helped with the "Basketball Without Borders" program. This program teaches basketball to young people around the world. He visited South Africa and the Dominican Republic for this program. He also played a few games in the Philippine Basketball Association in 2006.
Darvin Ham's Coaching Career
Becoming an Assistant Coach (2008–2022)
In 2008, Darvin Ham started his coaching journey. He became an assistant coach for the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. Later, in 2011, he joined the Los Angeles Lakers as an assistant coach. There, he helped famous players like Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.
In 2013, he moved to the Atlanta Hawks coaching staff. He helped the Hawks reach the playoffs for four years in a row. In 2015, they even made it to the Eastern Conference finals. Darvin also helped four of the Hawks' starting players become NBA All-Stars in 2015. He was also important in helping young players improve their skills.
In 2018, Darvin Ham joined the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach. He helped the team have one of their best seasons in a long time. In the 2020–21 season, Darvin helped coach the Milwaukee Bucks to win their second NBA title. They beat the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals. This was the Bucks' first championship since 1971.
Head Coach for the Los Angeles Lakers (2022–2024)
On June 3, 2022, Darvin Ham became the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. In his first season, the Lakers started with a tough record. But they worked hard and made it to the 2023 NBA playoffs. They even reached the Western Conference finals. This was a big achievement for a team that started slowly.
On December 9, 2023, Darvin Ham led the Lakers to win the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament. This was a new competition in the NBA. The Lakers again made the 2024 NBA playoffs in his second season. However, they lost in the first round. After two seasons, Darvin Ham left his role as head coach of the Lakers on May 3, 2024.
Returning to the Milwaukee Bucks (2024–Present)
On June 10, 2024, Darvin Ham went back to the Milwaukee Bucks. He is now their top assistant coach under Doc Rivers. On December 17, he won his second straight NBA Cup. His teams have a perfect record in NBA Cup games, winning all 14 so far.
Darvin Ham's NBA Player Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular Season Games
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | Denver | 35 | 3 | 8.9 | .525 | .000 | .485 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 2.3 |
| 1996–97 | Indiana | 1 | 0 | 5.0 | 1.000 | .000 | .500 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 |
| 1997–98 | Washington | 71 | 3 | 8.9 | .529 | .000 | .473 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 2.0 |
| 1999–00 | Milwaukee | 35 | 21 | 22.6 | .555 | .000 | .449 | 4.9 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 5.1 |
| 2000–01 | Milwaukee | 29 | 13 | 18.6 | .488 | .667 | .592 | 4.2 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 3.8 |
| 2001–02 | Milwaukee | 70 | 2 | 17.3 | .569 | .143 | .504 | 2.9 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 4.3 |
| 2002–03 | Atlanta | 75 | 1 | 12.3 | .447 | .000 | .481 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 2.4 |
| 2003–04† | Detroit | 54 | 2 | 9.0 | .493 | .500 | .600 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.8 |
| 2004–05 | Detroit | 47 | 0 | 5.9 | .459 | .000 | .387 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 |
| Career | 417 | 45 | 12.4 | .518 | .250 | .494 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 2.7 | |
Playoff Games
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–00 | Milwaukee | 5 | 5 | 28.8 | .647 | .000 | .333 | 5.8 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 5.0 |
| 2000–01 | Milwaukee | 14 | 6 | 9.4 | .600 | .000 | .550 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 2.1 |
| 2003–04† | Detroit | 22 | 0 | 4.9 | .500 | .000 | .000 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| 2004–05 | Detroit | 14 | 0 | 1.7 | .333 | .000 | 1.000 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Career | 55 | 11 | 7.4 | .569 | .000 | .516 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.3 | |
Darvin Ham's Personal Life
Darvin Ham's mother, Wilmer Jones-Ham, was the first female mayor of Saginaw, Michigan. She served from 2001 to 2005. Darvin is married, and his wife also attended Texas Tech University.
His son, Darvin Ham Jr., also played basketball in college. He is now an assistant coach for the Cleveland Charge in the NBA G League. Darvin Ham is a Christian. He often talks about how his faith has helped him overcome challenges in his life.
In 2011, Darvin traveled to Venezuela as a Sports Envoy for the U.S. Department of State. He helped lead basketball clinics for young people there. He also did similar clinics in Myanmar. These trips helped promote understanding between countries through sports.
Darvin Ham's Head Coaching Record
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L.A. Lakers | 2022–23 | 82 | 43 | 39 | .524 | 5th in Pacific | 16 | 8 | 8 | .500 | Lost in Conference finals |
| L.A. Lakers | 2023–24 | 82 | 47 | 35 | .573 | 3rd in Pacific | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | Lost in First round |
| Career | 164 | 90 | 74 | .549 | 21 | 9 | 12 | .429 | |||
Images for kids
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Ham playing in 2005
See also
In Spanish: Darvin Ham para niños
