"Phil Handy caught a major stray" - Lakers fans reeling as LA fires entire staff post Darvin Ham's ousting

Darvin Ham is no longer the head coach for the LA Lakers. To everyone's surprise, LA eliminated the entire coaching staff, including Phil Handy. Fans were in splits after the confirmation of this move from the franchise.

Handy was part of the coaching staff that helped the California-based franchise in the 2020 championship as an assistant coach. Even when the franchise decided to change coaches and hire Ham in 2022, he went along with the ride. Before that, he was a player development coach for the Purple & Gold from 2011-2013.

The team is starting anew with their recent decision to eliminate everyone from the coaching staff.

As expected, fans took to social media to share their thoughts on the Laker's decision. Here are some of what the team's supporters had to say.

"Phil Handy caught a MAJOR stray," one fan said.

"WHAT?? PHIL HANDY DIDNT DESERVE THIS," a fan wasn't happy with the decision.

"Firing Phil Handy is a mistake," another fan chimed in on the recent news from the team.

Some agreed with the decision by the front office.

"Should’ve got rid of that bozo after sneak dissing Westbrook," a fan shared.

"Everybody getting chopped. cleaning house," a fan commented.

"Y'all saying 'not Phil' like he special or something," another fan said about the news.

There's no assurance on who stays with the team now that they want to address their coaching problems. Some fans are waiting on which players will be let go or traded in the offseason.

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The Lakers general manager addressed Ham's firing

Following two seasons, the Lakers have chosen to part ways with Darvin Ham. During his tenure as the team's head coach, he was often met with criticism. Following their underwhelming performance in the 2024 NBA Playoff, blame was directed towards the head coach.

Upon finalizing the decision, general manager Rob Pelinka released a statement regarding the dismissal.

"We greatly appreciate Darvin’s efforts on behalf of the Lakers and recognize the many accomplishments achieved over the past two seasons including last year’s remarkable run to the Western Conference finals," Pelinka stated.

Pelinka also thanked Ham for his services with LA and shared that letting him go wasn't an easy decision. He also said to the fans that the organization is still focused on competing for a title as they work on addressing their issues over the summer.

There are now questions on which coach will take over for the team next season. With their pattern of hiring experienced and first-time head coaches, there's some speculation that they could pursue a decorated coach. For now, it's unsure which one they will consider signing.