Darvin Ham says he has support of Lakers brass - 'We're all aligned' - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — With a three-game losing skid dropping his team's record below .500 as the midseason mark approaches, Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham addressed speculation about his job status Friday by stating he continues to have the support of the franchise's decision-makers.

«I'm solid,» Ham said before the Lakers hosted the Memphis Grizzlies. «My governor, Jeanie Buss, the boss lady; our president, Robert Pelinka — we're all aligned. As long as they're not saying it, I guess I'm good. Which I know how they feel about me and the situation we're currently in.»

Ham said that reports like the story published Thursday in The Athletic, which cited anonymous sources claiming there was a «deepening disconnect» between the second-year coach and the Lakers' locker room, simply «comes with the territory.»

However, Ham, who signed a four-year deal in May 2022 to replace Frank Vogel, took issue with the nature of the reporting.

«It reminds me of when I used to watch '60 Minutes' with my father in the '80s. And one particular show they were talking about La Cosa Nostra and the mafia and these guys were starting to go to trial and their star witness shows up with a black potato sack over his head and shades. And due to fear, the name can't really be released,» Ham said. «And so this seems to be the standard of reporting now for NBA. People on the internet and whatever.

»And not all reporters — I don't want to disrespect anybody in the room — but when you say the source is anonymous by choice and they don't want to put their name on something but they want to give you the information and then you take the information and now everybody gets a chance to dissect it and spread it all out in their own way, it's kind of disingenuous.