"Get that b***h off my team": Darvin Ham faces Lakers fans' vitriol after shambolic loss to Nets

LA Lakers head coach Darvin Ham was lambasted by fans on social media after the team's shambolic loss to the Brooklyn Nets. The Lakers were outplayed 130-112 despite getting off to a strong start. Ham was slammed for his tactical moves that saw the likes of Cam Thomas and Nic Claxton put the screws on LA. The loss put the Lakers below .500 again, forcing them to play catch-up as they gear up for the second half of the season.

Fans called for Ham's firing right after the loss, with one of them not holding back on spewing vitriol.

Darvin ham saves his challenges for f*****g what ?? The 2030 Olympics?? Get that bitch off my team

Other fans weren't far behind:

Lakers fans minced no words in their criticism of head coach Darvin Ham

This wasn’t the first time Darvin Ham, who led the Lakers to the Western Conference finals last season, has been pulled up for his decision-making. From not having a fixed lineup to questionable substitution changes, the defense-first coach has been at the receiving end from fans.

The Lakers were again reliant on their star trio of LeBron James (24 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists), Anthony Davis (26 points and 11 rebounds), and D'Angelo Russell (20 points and 7 assists).

The Nets were thoroughly outplayed by Brooklyn who were led admirably by Cam Thomas(33 points). Dennis Smith Jr. (11 points) and Lonnie Walker IV (15 points) also chipped in as the Nets extended the lead in the second half after trailing for the whole of the first.

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Darvin Ham's questionable tactics in the 3rd quarter

With the Nets upping the pace in the third quarter, Darvin Ham pressed on without inserting Jarred Vanderbilt in the lineup until the visitors had a sizeable lead. The offense cooled off in the third quarter, and with Rui Hachimura having a bad day at work, the Lakers and Ham had no answer.

The adjustment knowledge was questionable, as Ham persisted with a lineup that could neither defend nor read the Nets offense. One of the factors was his delay in calling timeouts or even taking a challenge that could have perhaps tilted the game in LA's favor in the third quarter.

While it’s not just him at fault in its entirety, the fact that team superstar LeBron James took a subtle shot at him weeks earlier just provides more fuel to the Ham-bashing on social media.

That said, reports indicate that the Lakers front office and the high brass have reposed their faith in Ham, especially after he thrived in adversity after the team’s 0-5 start last season. They went 2-12 before getting their groove back, and Ham’s ability to get the best out of his team was enough proof that he could help LA achieve their objective.

The Lakers(21-22) now face another stern test when they play the LA Clippers(26-14) on Tuesday.