Patrick Beverley's stint for the Los Angeles Lakers may have been short, but it gave fans plenty of memorable moments to remember. One of his most memorable moments as a member of the Purple and Gold was when he brought out a camera to mock the referees after they missed a foul call that could have given the Lakers a win over the Boston Celtics in January 2023. But the Lakers traded him away at the 2023 deadline in exchange for Mo Bamba — putting an end to his 45-game stint with the team.
Beverley was brought in by the Lakers via trade to add more edge to the team on the defensive end of the floor following a disastrous 2021-22 season. The fiery 3-and-D guard is also a culture-setter — someone who raises the intensity of the locker room by the sheer force of his personality. But it may have taken a while for former Lakers head coach Darvin Ham to match that intensity as he figured out the ropes of leading a locker room for the first time in his career.
In fact, Ham even had to apologize recently for not heeding some of Beverley's suggestions back when the two were with the Lakers.
“I'm in Vegas. I'm gambling. I see Coach Ham walk past. Mind you, I ain't seen Coach Ham on a personal level since I left Lakers. Coach Ham come up to me [and said], ‘What up.' He [asked], ‘Could I get five minutes?' [He then said], ‘Just want to let you know, Pat. I apologize. … You was right. Need to practice more. F*ck that. We need to do more. Can't just win off talent,'” Beverley recalled on the latest episode of the Pat Bev Podcast.
Patrick Beverley, however, was perplexed as to why Darvin Ham would do this. For Beverley, Ham should take unapologetic ownership for his decisions back when he was still the Lakers' head coach.
“As a coach, you never supposed to apologize. The decision you make is the decision you make,” Beverley added.
There is a learning curve that comes with being a first-time head coach. But Ham had to learn many things the hard way now that the Lakers have moved on from him.
Darvin Ham's Lakers tenure — disappointing but solid nonetheless
For as much flak as Darvin Ham caught during his time with the Lakers — fans would say that his rotation decisions are confounding, his huddles are confusing, and he keeps his hands on his pockets far too often — he did his best to lead a team that was always going to be headlined by LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Ham still did the best he could to maximize the talent the Lakers had at their disposal, helping steer the ship for the Purple and Gold following the 2023 trade deadline. James and Davis, of course, deserve the bulk of the credit for leading the Lakers to a Conference Finals appearance in 2023, but Ham's ability to empower his guards, particularly Austin Reaves, deserves its fair share of credit as well.
Darvin Ham is now back as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks in a role that, perhaps, suits him much more. But Ham, after learning from his experience as the Lakers' head coach, could very well earn another shot at a lead role in another team's bench — especially if he owns up to his mistakes like he did in his interaction with Patrick Beverley in Vegas.
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