During intense playoff moments, it is easy to get a little bit carried away by the spirit of competition, and that happened to Lakers coach Darvin Ham.
Ham, who led the Lakers past the Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs in the Western Conference, helped Los Angeles secure a victory during their first game of the series against the Warriors on Tuesday night.
The first-year head coach also had the best view in the house when Golden State guard Jordan Poole attempted a surprisingly deep 3-pointer with less than ten seconds remaining in regulation.
Ham was so close, in fact, that it appeared he tried to “block” the shot:
Coach Ham was ready to block Jordan Poole during the game 😅 pic.twitter.com/3hWDwba56P
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 3, 2023
Ham, who was a solid defensive player during his time in the NBA and was hired in part to bring some of that defensive intensity to Los Angeles, didn’t need to do much for the shot to miss.
Poole clanked it off the rim and the Lakers secured the rebound and, shortly after that, the crucial victory to take control of the series.
But this was a hilarious moment from Ham, who may have briefly forgotten where he was while coaching on the sidelines.