The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most prolific sports franchises in history. Having won 17 NBA championships, the team has hosted some of the top players in NBA history including Magic Johnson and Lebron James. Today, they welcomed their newest head coach, Darvin Ham, who opened his first public address at a press conference thanking God and professing his belief in His Son Jesus Christ.
“First of all, I want to thank God. Coming from where I come from, I was raised in a household with strong, spiritual faith, belief in God and His Son Jesus Christ, so I want to start with that,” Ham said after General Manager Rob Pelinka shared that he was voted as the unanimous decision by Lakers management.
“Everything I’ve been able to overcome in my life, along with the people around me, it’s been that spirit that was instilled in me as a youngster.”
Ham’s bold confession was clearly a part of his life and a genuine part of his story. He also shared his faith in the timing and plan of God. As some teams weren’t interested in hiring him, others passed, Ham said his faith stayed strong, knowing that he is the “master of all plans.”
“Timing is everything. Like I said, I put my faith in God. He’s the master of all plans, and I just want to take this time to thank all of those teams that passed on me so I could end up right back where I need to be,”
“It’s all good. I’m good — trust me.”
Ham himself played in the NBA for 8 seasons from ’96 to ’08. He then served as an assistant coach at the Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Others are noticing his example inspired by his faith, on and off the court.
“When someone begins his NBA coaching career at the G League level and goes all the way through playing an integral role on the front bench of an NBA Championship team, it really speaks to a certain strength of character. Our players and fans will immediately identify with Darvin’s no-nonsense and hard-working approach, which we feel will bring toughness and a competitive edge to all we do,” said Pelinka in a prepared press release published by the Lakers. “When you add that to Darvin’s sophisticated grasp of in-game strategy and deep knowledge of the game of basketball, we have the ideal coach for this next chapter in Lakers history. We could not be more honored and proud to name Darvin Ham as our new head coach.”
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