It took him a while, but head coach Darvin Ham has earned a spot in Los Angeles Lakers fans’ hearts.
He’s passionate, and it seems like his players would run through a wall for him.
That passion was again on full display in Tuesday night’s Game 1 win over the Golden State Warriors.
In a now-viral video, it seems like Ham hilariously tried to block a potential game-tying shot of Warriors guard Jordan Poole with eight seconds left on the clock.
Coach Ham was ready to block Jordan Poole during the game 😅 pic.twitter.com/3hWDwba56P
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 3, 2023
Fortunately for him and his team, that pesky defense wasn’t needed as Poole missed the shot while allowing the Lakers to secure the rebound and ultimately earn a five-point victory.
Poole has drawn plenty of criticism for that somewhat wild shot, especially considering he could’ve passed the ball to Stephen Curry.
But Golden State head coach Steve Kerr also let the guys play instead of calling a timeout, which could’ve helped them set up a better sequence.
Whatever the case, it’s clear Ham was willing to do whatever it took to make sure Poole missed that shot, even if that meant taking matters into his own hands.
Truth be told, it would’ve been one of the most epic and hilarious moments in NBA history if Ham had actually tried to block the shot.
He would’ve been fined, suspended, and maybe even fired, but it would’ve been a video clip that lived on for the rest of time.
Ham and the Lakers will have another chance to play lockdown defense on Thursday night when his team faces the Warriors for Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals.
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