"You're glad he is as far away from the Lakers as possible" - NBA fans amused by Magic Johnson's joy over ex-Lakers coach Darvin Ham joining Bucks

LA Lakers legend Magic Johnson recently expressed excitement over ex-Lakers coach Darvin Ham landing the Milwaukee Bucks' top assistant coaching position. However, the three-time MVP's enthusiasm elicited mixed reactions from NBA fans, with some questioning his motive.

Ham was fired on May 3 after just two seasons at the helm of LA, finishing with a 90-74 record. The Lakers advanced to the playoffs both years, making an unexpected Western Conference finals run last year. Nonetheless, many felt the 50-year-old's lack of in-game adjustments and ineffective schemes prevented the team from reaching its ceiling.

On Monday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Ham is rejoining Milwaukee, where he will serve as 25-year coaching veteran Doc Rivers' right-hand man.

Most fans scoffed at Ham's hiring, highlighting his shortcomings with the Lakers. However, on Tuesday, Johnson praised the move on X/Twitter.

"I’m so happy that my friend and Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has named former Lakers head coach Darvin Ham as his new top assistant!" Johnson tweeted.

Following Johnson's tweet, several fans on X quipped about the motive behind his message. They suggested that the five-time NBA champion's excitement may have more to do with Ham no longer being a member of the Lakers.

"In other words, you're glad Ham is as far away from the Lakers as possible, LOL," @alanbarcoff said.

"We all know you're happy because you didn't want him on the Lakers," @ImDaRealAni said.

Meanwhile, others predicted Ham's hiring to mark the start of Milwaukee's downfall.

"It is so over for the Bucks," @stephenaismth said.

"40-42 season. Doc always does the least with the most," @24CMJ said.

However, a few fans agreed with Johnson, citing Ham's potential to be a strong assistant alongside Rivers.

"Good for Ham. He’ll make a great assistant. Seriously," @PatriotJ said.

"Agreed! They’ll be great together," @PLongoTonilas said.

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Despite criticism, Darvin Ham was reportedly in high demand in assistant coaching market

Darvin Ham may not be too popular among Lakers fans and didn't receive a head coaching interview from another team following his firing. However, per Adrian Wojnarowski, Ham was "highly sought after this offseason as a top assistant coach."

Ham was also reportedly offered a lead assistant coaching position on newly hired Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer's staff. However, despite having nine years of experience working under Budenholzer with Milwaukee and the Atlanta Hawks (2013 to 2022), he turned down the offer.

Ham instead returns to a Bucks franchise he spent four seasons as an assistant with (2018 to 2022) before getting hired by LA in 2022. He won the 2021 championship with Milwaukee and is familiar with its superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Thus, he should make a relatively smooth transition.

However, the Bucks are coming off a disappointing, injury-plagued season, which culminated with them falling 4-2 in Round 1 of the postseason to the Indiana Pacers. So, Rivers and Ham will look to get Milwaukee healthy and guide the franchise back to title contention next season.

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