Gilbert Arenas Weighs In on Why Darvin Ham Got Yeeted from LA

Darvin Ham’s run as head coach for the Lakers started strong back in 2022. After a rough 2-10 start, some bold midseason trades turned the season around, and they made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals. That hype had everyone thinking big things for the next season.

But nope. The Lakers stumbled out of the gate again and, even with a solid finish late in the season, they got bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Nuggets. Rumors swirled about the locker room vibe, with reports that players had lost trust in Ham and LeBron James wasn’t exactly vibing with him. Not surprisingly, Ham got fired after the playoff exit.

On his podcast, Gilbert Arenas spilled some tea about why things didn’t work with Ham and LeBron:

“We’re just going to be honest; your star player’s probably smarter than you, right?” Arenas said. “And the fact that your star player is smarter than you, that’s a hard job to have. Like, you literally have to talk to LeBron’s ego. Like, I got to talk to his basketball. For him to accept you, it’s like talking to some genius.”

Ham stayed classy when he first got fired, but he’s now calling it unfair. He’s landed on his feet as an assistant with the Bucks, and after their recent Emirates NBA Cup win, he’s clearly thriving, even if things didn’t work out in L.A.

Meanwhile, LeBron’s relationship with current Lakers coach JJ Redick seems chill—for now. Their shared history as co-hosts of the Mind the Game podcast probably helps. Plus, Redick’s all about details and data, which lines up with LeBron’s basketball IQ. Even during a rough patch where the Lakers lost 8 of 11, the vibes haven’t gone off the rails.