Darvin Ham, the Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, is also a former basketball player who played college basketball for the Texas Tech Red Raiders before playing nine seasons in the NBA from 1996 to 2005.
He won a championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. Ham, just like many NBA fans, believes that the regular season games often get very boring to watch. This is why he said he likes the new In-Season tournament which has recently awakened the interest of many NBA fans.
Darvin Ham takes shot at NBA regular season
The excitement surrounding the introduction of the in-season tournament was evident as the NBA season of 2023–2024 got underway. The prospect of financial prizes for the winners brought an exciting element, even though many participants and spectators were unsure of how this new addition would operate, especially given that it would involve groups and single-elimination matches.
As the tournament progressed, the question loomed: would this innovation truly benefit the NBA, drawing in fans and elevating the competition? The answer so far is a definite yes. This sentiment has been supported not only by the fans but by the players and coaches as well. The Lakers HC Darvin Ham spoke in support of the In-Season tournament.
He said, “I think it’s been great man. Sometimes you tend to yawn. We don’t like to admit it, but you tend to yawn through certain NBA games, regular season games at this point of the year.”
The competition has showcased the Lakers’ best qualities as they display their skills and perform at their peak, maintaining an unbeaten record. There is evident motivation among the players, even though their success in the tournament hasn’t necessarily translated to the overall season.
Lakers HC wants more incentive for the IST
With the NBA and the In-Season Tournament’s semifinalists descending upon “Sin City” for the competition’s final four, a common talking point has been what could be improved for future iterations of the event.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham had a simple but interesting idea about drawing more attention to the In Season tournament. He said, “Yeah, add more money to the purse.” When asked if he had any other ideas, he said, “Once I reflect, I’m sure I can come up with something, but right now just add more money to the purse.”
The cash price that the winning team will receive has been a common topic of conversation. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James recently said that he would put his body on the line just to win the handsome cash price, which is a sum of $500,000 for each player of the winning team.
What are your thoughts on the NBA In-Season tournament games? Feel free to share with us in the comments below.
