Darvin Ham speaks openly about Quin Snyder after the Lakers beat Hawks.
The Atlanta Hawks (30-38) started strong, building an 11-2 lead before losing 136-105 to the Los Angeles Lakers. “It’s a hell of a young ball club over there,” Ham told journalists. “Their record may not show it, but they are competing for a slot as well. I love Quin Snyder; he’s like a big brother to me. He’s going to make sure they compete, and there are a lot of you know youthful weapons over there despite the absence of Trey youthful.” The partnership between Ham and Sndyer began in 2008.
The Hawks’ head coach was working for the Austin Toros, the San Antonio Spurs’ G League franchise, while Ham was in his final season as a player. Their paths met again in 2011-12, this time with the Lakers. It was Ham’s first year as a coaching assistant, and Snyder’s third in the NBA. They would cross paths again, this time in Atlanta, as members of former Head Coach Mike Budenholzer’s staff in 2013-14. Snyder even consulted with Ham before of the 2022–23 season. Ham was preparing for his first season as head coach of the Lakers, and Snyder had yet to replace Nate McMillan in Atlanta after leaving the Utah Jazz.
“I was excited for him when he got this opportunity,” Snyder stated at the postgame press conference. “I believe he’s been prepared to be a head coach for some time. I’ve worked with him before, and I did so here. We were both assistants here, and we are brothers. We’re quite close. “I believe he did an excellent job, and they’ve had a lot of injuries this year as well. And he’s someone I root for, except from tonight. This league, especially for head coaches, may be isolating at times.
“It’s good to have someone that you’re close to that has an opportunity to pick you up at various times.” The Hawks and Lakers have split their two encounters this season. Hawks’ Quin Snyder tips cap to the Lakers’ ‘Hall of Fame’ combo. Despite the Hawks’ early lead, this was the Lakers’ game. Snyder could only praise LA’s “two Hall of Fame players” – LeBron James and Anthony Davis – who combined for 47 points, 22 rebounds, and 16 assists. “[I] thought they played really well,” Snyder said of the Lakers. “It’s difficult to sustain a defensive effort against a club that plays the way they do offensively.
“When the ball doesn’t go in, that makes it even more difficult. And, obviously, we didn’t make any shots tonight. It seemed like we were in the game. In the third quarter, we weren’t as sharp, we weren’t communicating as well, and we had some defensive breakdowns, and they punished us for any mistakes we made.”
