New Lakers coach Darvin Ham has built a reputation around the NBA based on his toughness, a trait that, evidently, made a lasting impression on the late, great Kobe Bryant.
Less than a day after officially welcoming Ham as their 28th head coach, the Lakers shared a clip featuring a report with comments from Bryant, who passed away Jan. 2020 at age 41, discussing the then-Hawks assistant prior to a game during the 2015–16 season.
Bryant reportedly “raved” about the help, coaching, and workouts he participated in with the eight-year NBA veteran during his time as a player development assistant coach with the team. Ham, who was in his third season as an assistant in Atlanta at the time, spent two years in L.A. under Mike Brown and Mike D’Antoni from 2011–13.
