A week after the news of the Los Angeles Lakers' decision to hire Darvin Ham as its next head coach was reported, the franchise formally announced the move. The 48-year-old first-time head coach — who played in the NBA for eight seasons and has coached in the G-League and NBA since 2008, including with the Lakers from 2011-13 — will be tasked with returning the Lakers to contention and respectability while overseeing the end of LeBron James' championship window.

He'll also have the responsibility of coaxing maximum production out of Anthony Davis and possibly navigating a shaky Russell Westbrook situation. Both LeBron and Westbrook have already shared their enthusiasm for the hire, as have Magic Johnson and other folks around the league.

“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,” said Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka in a statement. “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.”

“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.”

https://open.spotify.com/episode/61Ar04k91qqxag5lQwOEe3?si=2645b860c9ad454d

Ham reportedly blew the Lakers away with his final-round interviews, particularly with his tactical know-how. His charisma, communication, and developmental skills have been lauded for years.

The Lakers will hold an introductory press conference for Ham at on Mon­­day at the UCLA Health Training Center.

Notably, the Lakers inked Ham to a four-year deal and are reportedly giving him considerable autonomy over his coaching staff — both of which represent an encouraging shift from how they conducted their previous coaching search.

Ham has been working at the Lakers practice facility for the past few days and conducting meetings with the current staff, who have been running pre-draft workouts.