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Darvin Ham: Los Angeles Lakers’ new head coach impresses in media unveiling as he outlines franchise turnaround plan

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Darvin Ham was the appointment committee’s unanimous choice to be the man tasked with turning around the Los Angeles Lakers’ fortunes. When you hear him speak, it’s easy to see why.

Few jobs in sports carry more pressure to deliver success than being head coach of the Lakers but despite being a rookie in the lead role, it’s easy to see why front office chief Rob Pelinka and, importantly, LeBron James – though he was not part of the committee involved in the decision – believe Ham is the man to restore the fortunes of a team which disappointed massively last season.

The team was rudderless (LeBron’s enduring brilliance aside) last season and needed a figurehead at the coaching position who has the strength of character to lead a group laden with NBA veterans and future Hall of Famers, including Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard, who are all past their prime but still more than capable of delivering better than the 33-49 record, which saw Los Angeles finish 11th in the Western Conference last year.