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Lakers fire coach Darvin Ham after just two seasons as coach and exiting the team in the first round of the playoffs

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LOS ANGELES (AP) The Los Angeles Lakers fired coach Darvin Ham on Friday after just two seasons as coach.

The Lakers announced on social media that they were firing Ham 4 days after the season ended a first-round playoff loss to Denver in five matches.

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Ham led Los Angeles to the Western Conference Finals lower than a yr ago in his first season as an NBA head coach. He replaced Frank Vogel, who was fired by the Lakers exactly 18 months after winning the franchise’s seventeenth championship in 2020.

Ham had two winning seasons and two playoff appearances, but that wasn’t enough for the championship-minded Lakers. With little time to capitalize on the simultaneous presence of Anthony Davis and 39-year-old LeBron James – who has not decided whether to return for his twenty second NBA season – the Lakers are once more resetting their coaching staff somewhat than placing the blame on general manager Rob Pelinka for the structure of the warehouse.

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“We greatly appreciate Darvin’s efforts on behalf of the Lakers and recognize the many accomplishments he has achieved over the past two seasons, including last year’s remarkable run to the Western Conference Finals,” Pelinka said in a press release. “We all want to thank Darvin for his dedication and positive attitude. While this was a difficult decision, it is the best course of action after a full season review. This organization will remain steadfast in its commitment to delivering championship-level basketball to Lakers fans around the world.”

Ham hosted a disappointing yr for the Lakers, who went 47-35 in the regular season and won the inaugural NBA midseason tournament. Then the Lakers they defeated New Orleans in the play-in game move as much as seventh in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, but that meant that they had to face Denver, which eliminated them from the playoffs last season.

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Los Angeles led the defending champion Nuggets for long stretches of the first round, but Nikola Jokic and his teammates ultimately advanced to the second round series of comeback victories.

“It was a hell of two years to be sitting in that seat,” Ham said after the game. “A lot of good things have been done, but ultimately you want to win that top prize.”

The Lakers’ loss stung because James and Davis had been largely healthy all yr, and each superstars had played in more games than that they had played in an NBA season since 2017-18 – 76 for Davis and 71 for James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. D’Angelo Russell also had a powerful regular season, setting a franchise record for three-pointers made.

This health and success has only translated right into a four-win improvement in the rankings in comparison with last season, with Ham receiving much of the blame from fans and observers for his game management, slow tactical adjustments and reluctance to vary his player rotation and starting lineups. even when something didn’t work.

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The Lakers fell right into a hole they couldn’t escape from it went 3-10 during the holiday season right after the Mid-Season Tournament final. Ham was widely criticized for his lineups and rotations during this poor stretch — including curiously benching Russell and Austin Reaves while allowing plenty of playing time for Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish.

This slump ultimately prevented the Lakers from ending in the top six in the West, despite the fact that they finished the regular season with a formidable 28-14 run.

Players publicly supported Ham, but the signs of frustration were clear. After the Lakers blew a 20-point lead and lost to Denver in the second game last month, Davis said the Lakers “have periods where we don’t know what we’re doing on both ends of the floor,” which is widely interpreted as a glimpse into Ham’s coaching competence.

The Lakers achieved only a 43-39 result in their first season under Ham in 2022-2023, but took advantage of more favorable playoff matchups. After defeating Minnesota in the play-in game, they won a playoff series against Memphis and Golden State and reached the conference finals, where they were swept by Denver.

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Lakers fire coach Darvin Ham after just two seasons as coach and a first-round playoff exit (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)

James, Davis and the Lakers haven’t won a playoff round in three of the 4 seasons since winning the 2020 championship in the Florida bubble.

Ham has two years left on his contract with the Lakers, who might be hiring their fourth head coach since James arrived in 2018. The latest coach might be the Lakers’ eighth coach in 14 seasons since the departure of Hall of Famer Phil Jackson in 2011.

Ham had an eight-year NBA profession as an athletic forward, winning a championship with Detroit in 2004. His first NBA assistant coaching job was with the Lakers in 2011, and he spent nine years as an assistant under Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta and Milwaukee. seasons – earning his second championship ring with the Bucks in 2021 – before returning to the Lakers as head coach.

James has a $51.4 million player option for next season, and his decision hangs over every offseason signing for the Lakers, who internally expect his return.

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Pelinka must then determine whether he could make his long-awaited move for a 3rd superstar via trade or consider the assurances of Rui Hachimura and other players that the Lakers can turn out to be a contender with more continuity.

Russell has an $18.7 million player option after the sharpshooter excelled in the regular season and failed in the playoffs, notoriously going scoreless in the Lakers’ Game 3 against Denver. After Los Angeles was eliminated from the playoffs on Monday, the point guard said he had a “slight advantage.” I’ll try to make use of it.”


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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com

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Ryan Clark breaks down in an emotional interview with Greg Brooks Jr.: “This child did not deserve it”

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Ryana Clark “The Pivot” podcast It boasts “key conversations”. However, the host of the podcast was not prepared for the emotional variety of his last interview with a former footballer of the State University in Louisiana Greg Brooks Jr. After almost an hour conversation with Greg Brooks and his father, Greg Brooks, Clark, Clark Put in tears a moment after Brooks was thrown out of the interview.

“Sometimes I miss it. I look at the screen and I think it should be me, but I’m just glad that I’m here.”

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“You are amazing. You are an inspiration, I mean that you are a superhero and I expected that from a very young age, when I met you, to achieve great things,” said Clark Brooks Jr. “I never expected you to achieve what you have man. I love you.”

For Clark, Ałunu LSU and the super Bowl master, this conversation was particularly annoying because he was there to witness Brooks Jr.’s journey. from early days of recovery.

“It’s hard to see, old,” Clark continued. “My tears are like a part of pride, but also just anger, because you are right, this child does not … does not deserve this man, and to be honest, GB (Greg Brooks Sr.), the most difficult part is for me that he has no anger. He is so happy of everything he has, he is so happy because of how far is.”

While the previous LSU football captain is grateful for recovery, his father, Brooks Sr., explained that Brooks Jr. He still experiences the extent of pain.

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“Don’t you think that this child suffered, old? Don’t you think that he had the successes of all his friends? Not hear from the trainer for over 17 months? Seventeen Fu ** months … it’s painful, old” – revealed Brooks Sr.

In a lawsuit against the University and Mother of God of the Lake Regional Medical Center at Baton Rouge, the Brooks family claims that LSU staff and medical staff performed neglect in the Brooks Jr. And that the varsity did not inform the athlete’s family about his injury.

“I just want young athletes in the identical place, if something hurts, tell them.

(Tagstranslate) LSU Football (T) Ryan Clark (T) Sport

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Coach San Antonio Spurs Gregg Popovich leaves the legacy of expressing injustice

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Gregg Popovich, the most important coach of San Antonio Spurs Gregg Popovich, won the highest and maybe the largest coach in NBA history outside the side line. It also disappeared, but actually not forgotten, Popovich used his platform to talk against racial, social and political injustice.

“He was probably one of the first trainers of the modern generation, who really spoke about politics and social injustice,” said coach Golden State Warriors Steve Kerr, a former guard of Spurs near Popuvich. “One of my favorite trainers is (former basketball coach of men from the University of North Karolina) Dean Smith. Dean Smith in the 1960s. He helped break the racial barriers in the south, refusing to take his team in some places for staying or eating. Coaches who really distinguish me. “

Spurs announced the retirement of Popovich from coaching on May 2 after 33 years as the most important trainer. Naismith Hall of Famer is the NBA leader in the field of coaching victories with 1422 wins in the regular season. The three -time NBA coach led Spurs to 5 championships. The 76-year-old also took third place in winning the playoffs.

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Popovich trained the Spurs dynasty, which included the NBA championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014, Hall of Famers David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Future Hall of Famer Kawhi Leonard. With the NBA All-Star Center Victor Wembanyama, in its composition, Popovich trained only five matches this season, after which he suffered a stroke in a team facility on November 2, 2024. He never returned out of bord.

Popovich will remain in Spurs as the president of basketball operations and was replaced by Mitch Johnson, who was a short lived team of the team this season.

“It’s a sad day. It’s also an encouraging day,” said Kerr on May 2. “This is a natural transition for him organizationally to go to the next role. He also gives him space and time that he must regain after health problems.

“So I got a lot of mixed emotions … mainly my love for pop. My empathy for what has gone through with the Spurs organization. All of the above. This is a very emotional day for everyone involved. Thank you, pop.”

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Coach Houston Rockets, Ime Udoka, former guard of Spurs and assistant coach near Popowicz, said on May 2: “This is a sweet -bitter day, of course, for all of us. But I am glad that he is in the good place. And I am glad that he is good with his family. A special day. A special person. One of the best for it. I am happy that I have a chance to work with him and call him.”

Coach Golden State Warriors Steve Kerr (on the left) and coach San Antonio Spurs Gregg Popovich (on the right) meet after the match at the Chase Center on November 1, 2019.

Cary edmondson-us today sport

Popovich also had an impact on the world, undeniably using his platform to speak about injustice. What made his openness much more unique was that he was a white man who spoke about marginalized individuals who didn’t seem like him.

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Former San Antonio Spurs Forward Lamarcus Aldridge once described Popovich as “color blindness” to Andcape. Popovich was also known that he normally had an inventory with international talent.

“When you meet him, color doesn’t matter to him,” Aldridge said about Popovich. “It can refer. People can say that he and Stephen Jackson are really close. Stephen Jackson is the opposite of being from Europe. It doesn’t matter who you are. He connects with all people … He is so open to everything.”

Popovich once expressed respect for the playmaker San Francisco 49ers Colin Kapernicka and his national protest. These were the words of a person who attended the American Air Force Academy and obtained a bachelor’s degree in the field of Soviet studies. He served five years of the required lively service in the Air Force and once considered a profession in the CIA.

“A quite good group of people immediately thought that they did not respect the army,” said Popovich once. “It had nothing to do with his protest. In fact, he was able to do what he did because of what the army was doing for us. Most people think about it, but there will always be an element that wants to jump on fashion and this is unfortunate in our country.”

Popovich once took Spurs to the private screening of the film “Chi-raq” with the famous film director Spike Lee. Popovich had a former John Carlos track star, who joined Tommie Smith to get a controversial salut of black power on the podium medal during the Olympic Games in Mexico in 1968, confer with his team. Popovich gave his players the book “Between the world and me” by Tahisi Coates, who was written as a letter to the writer’s teenage son about reality, emotions and symbolism of being an African American in the United States. Popovich also took his team for the show “The Birth of the Nation”, the film Parker invested about Nat Turner, who managed the historic riot of slaves in 1831 and see the famous art of “Hamilton” in New York.

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“It is obvious that the domestic plane of slavery still penetrates our social system in this country,” said Popovich once. “People want to ignore it, they don’t want to talk about it because it is uncomfortable.”

Popovich also described the race in America as “elephant in peace.” He believed that the White Americans didn’t understand the pain and stress related to being an African American. Popovich remembered listening to the black assistants of trainers about how that they had to confer with children about the best way to cope with the police in the event that they were confronted. He said it was something that as a white man never had in common together with his two children.

“It’s easier for white people because we haven’t experienced this experience. For many white people it is difficult to understand the everyday feeling with which many black people are dealing with,” Popovich once said. “I did not talk to my children about how to behave in front of a policeman when you stop. I did not have to do it. All my black friends did it. There is something that is wrong in it and we all know it.”

From left to right: coach San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich and former players of Spurs David Robinson and Tim Duncan during Tony Parker’s pension ceremony on November 11, 2019.

Daniel Dunn-Us today sport

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Popovich also also talked about what he thinks were injustices in the American government, particularly against President Donald Trump. During October 27, 2024, a press conferencePopovich described Trump as “pathetic” and accused him of supporting the culture of racism and division in America. Popovich also added that he believes that Trump has confirmed racism, which normalized and legitimized discrimination on this process.

Popovich recurrently talked about the control of weapons. In 2023, Popovich gave an unnecessary, nine -minute lobbying lobbying for the laws of weapon control in America and criticizing “cowardly legislators who are selfish” before the match in Dallas. Popovich criticized republican legislators in Texas and Tennessee, and in addition expressed contempt for the expedition of representatives in 2023 Justin Jones and Justin Pearson from the Chamber of Representatives in Tennessee. Two black democrats were demonstrating weapons control on the floor of the chamber after a shooting in Nashville. Popovich called the provisions on the resistance of weapon control, an try and “clog all these things (in) the myth of the second amendment.”

“I was wondering because we have a governor and governor governor and prosecutor general, who made it easier to have more weapons,” Popovich said, referring to politicians from Texas. “It was a response to the murder of our children. I just thought it was a bit strange decision. But it’s just me.”

So how did Popovich develop into so conscious, caring and vocal?

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The son of a Croatian father and Serbian mother organized naturally about other cultures, growing up in a racially diverse eastern Chicago in Indiana, 18 miles from the Chicago center. According to the universal census of the United States of 2010, Eastern Chicago had 42.9% black, 35.5% white and 19.1% of other races. Popovich attributed his military origin for making him aware of the world. He also learned about the world when he played basketball for the American Basketball Team of the Armed Forces in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.

“When you meet him and learn about his upbringing and his origin, raised in (suburbs) Gary, Indian, in a multicultural district …”-said Udoka. “He all the time talked about the neighbors he had – an Italian family, a Jewish family, a black family. Everything around him was immigrants and his.

“This is the core of who it is. It is appropriate, regardless of whether you are black, white or different.”

Kerr also spoke about social injustice, racism, violence with weapons and political problems during the training of warriors. He recognized Popovich for uplifting him to make use of his platform to talk.

“I was 100% inspired by pop for the courage to speak and take the hits you do,” said Kerr. “I met POP after I signed a contract with Spurs in 1999 during the blockade. You can see the sacrifice for his country. A proud air force graduate. From the first national anthem (played in the game Spurs) I saw how he stood on an unusual American flut.

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“This is a belief together with, say, the Shenanigans of this country politically – in actual fact all BS began at the moment, at the turn of the century … between social media and Buffoners politically, on this era, wherein everyone screams against one another.

Marc J. Spears is a senior NBA author for Andcape. Once he was capable of immerse himself at you, but he was unable for years, and his knees still hurt.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Why America still makes the black fathers of sports villains

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In the sports industry value a billion dollars there isn’t any image more quietly threatening to the system than a robust, engaged black father.

We see it time and again.
Lavar Ball is known as boastful.
Deion Sanders is known as selfish.

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Richard Williams was crazy long before the world learned the names Venus and Serena.
Lebron James is in some way criticized for being too publicly supporting his son Brony.
Earl Woods was presented as a controlling character, even when he raised one of the biggest golfers he had ever seen.

Cecil Newton Sr. He met with public control simply following his son CAM.

The plan is evident: when the black father stands at the center of his child’s success – leading, protecting, moving away from exploitation – the media paint him as an issue.
As Egomaniak.
As someone “bothers”.

Why?
Because strong black fathers disturb the narrative.

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The system is just not only invested in the talent of black athletes – it invests in controlling them.
A young black athlete without suggestions is less complicated to control. Easier to pay. Easier to face against others. Easier to the brand, profit and reject when it’s comfortable.

A powerful black father changes the terms of the contract.

Requires higher contracts.
He asks about coaching decisions.
It protects the mental health of your child from the franchise.
He reminds the world that his son or daughter is just not only an asset – but a human being along with his family, dreams and dignity.

And that is where real fear lies.

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The image of a united black family – not broken, absent, not broken – a challenge of deeply rooted stereotypes on which American society has long been about the justification of inequalities.
A powerful black man standing next to his child and says that he is just not perceived as an act of love, but as an act of revolt.

It is less complicated to submit a father than to confess that the system is designed to make use of athletes, while they’re young, sensitive and isolated.
It is less complicated to make fun of yourself than to confront the truth:
Black families who stick together support one another and are fiercely in favor of their very own, are irrefutable, not a threat.

The experience of NFL Sanders Sanders shows what black men know too well - confidence is a threat

When Deion Sanders tells his sons that they’re kings, not goods, it worries the old order.
When Richard Williams insists that his daughters are larger than tennis, he prescribes the rules.
When Lavar Ball dreams loudly for his sons, he scares a system that prefers black athletes to be grateful and quiet.

But let’s be clear:
It is just not their trust that threatens the sports industry.
It’s their love.
Their refusal to permission to their children used and rejected to the side.
Their impudence is consider that they deserve sitting at the table – and pull up the chair without not asking for permission.

Black fathers in sport should not villains.
They are architects.
They are defenders.
These are a shield between industries value a billion dollars and kids, otherwise they consumed.

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Or possibly this can be a real story that America doesn’t wish to tell.


Jonathan Conyers

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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