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 Demonte Ham Sr. (born July 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He is currently the top assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before this, he was the head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Darvin Ham played college basketball for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. He then played nine seasons in the NBA from 1996 to 2005. He won an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. Ham also played basketball in Spain and the Philippines. As an assistant coach, he won another NBA championship in 2021. He also won the NBA Cup twice as an assistant coach.
Contents
College Basketball Career
Darvin Ham went to Texas Tech University in 1993 after high school. While playing for the Red Raiders, he became famous for a powerful slam dunk. During the 1996 NCAA Tournament, he actually shattered the backboard! This amazing dunk happened in a game against North Carolina.
That dunk helped Texas Tech gain momentum. It pushed them into the first Sweet Sixteen in their school's history. The picture of his dunk was even on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. In 1996, Ham also won the NCAA slam dunk contest.
Professional Playing Career
Darvin Ham started his professional career in the NBA. He signed with the Denver Nuggets in October 1996. He later played for several other NBA teams. These included the Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, and Detroit Pistons.
In his eight seasons and 417 games in the NBA, he was known for his strong dunks. Fans even gave him nicknames like "Dunkin Darvin" and "Ham Slamwich." These names stuck with him throughout his career. He was a fan favorite, especially when he played for the Milwaukee Bucks.
In 2004, Darvin Ham was part of the Detroit Pistons team that won the NBA championship. This was a huge achievement in his playing career.
After his time in the NBA, Ham also played internationally. In 2006, he played for the Philippine Basketball Association team Talk 'N Text Phone Pals. He also played in the NBA Development League (now called the G League) for teams like the Albuquerque Thunderbirds and Austin Toros.
Coaching Career
Assistant Coach (2008–2022)
Darvin Ham began his coaching journey in October 2008. He started as an assistant coach for the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. Later, he became their head coach. In October 2011, he joined the Los Angeles Lakers as an assistant coach. He worked with famous players like Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Dwight Howard. His role was to help these players improve their skills.
In 2013, Ham 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. He also helped four of the Hawks' starting players become 2015 NBA All-Stars. He was also important in helping young players like Dennis Schroder get better.
On June 7, 2018, Darvin Ham joined the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach. He helped the team achieve their best record since 1972. In the 2020–21 season, Ham helped coach the Bucks to win their second NBA title. They beat the Phoenix Suns in six games in the 2021 NBA Finals. This was the Bucks' first championship since 1971.
Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers (2022–2024)
Darvin Ham became the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers on June 3, 2022. In his first season, the Lakers started with a tough record. However, they improved greatly and made it to the 2023 NBA playoffs as the 7th seed. They then reached the Western Conference finals, which was a big achievement.
On December 9, 2023, Ham and the Lakers won the first-ever 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament. This was a new tournament in the NBA. In the 2024 NBA playoffs, the Lakers again made it as the 7th seed. They lost in the first round to the Denver Nuggets. After two seasons with the Lakers, Ham left the team on May 3, 2024.
Return to the Milwaukee Bucks (2024–Present)
On June 10, 2024, Darvin Ham returned to the Milwaukee Bucks. He is now their top assistant coach, working under head coach Doc Rivers. On December 17, 2024, Ham won his second NBA Cup in a row. His teams have a perfect record in NBA Cup games, winning all 14 they have played.
NBA Career 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
| 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 | |
Playoffs
| 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 | |
Personal Life
Darvin Ham's mother, Wilmer Jones-Ham, was the first female mayor of Saginaw, Michigan. She served from 2001 to 2005. When Darvin was 14 years old, he survived a gunshot wound.
Darvin Ham is married, and his wife also attended Texas Tech University. His son, Darvin Ham Jr., played basketball for Northwood University. He is currently an assistant coach for the Cleveland Charge in the NBA G League.
Ham is a Christian. He has often spoken about how his faith has helped him overcome challenges in his life. He believes his strong spiritual upbringing has guided him.
In June 2011, Ham 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 visited Myanmar to hold similar clinics for over 200 youth. These trips helped promote understanding through sports.
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 | |||
See also
In Spanish: Darvin Ham para niños
