Jeff Van Gundy Roasts Lakers Coach Darvin Ham For Brick-Laying Past Career

Coach-turned-broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy roasted Lakers coach Darvin Ham last night while Los Angeles was being cooked.

In the midst of the Lakers' 127-100 loss to the Warriors, Van Gundy playfully feasted on the current Lakers coach’s NBA career. Specifically, his shooting touch, or lack thereof.

Ham averaged just 2.7 points per game over an NBA career that spanned 417 games and nine seasons. He never averaged better than 5.1 points in a single season or 14 in a game. And Darvin Ham’s career free throw percentage (49.4%) makes Shaq look like Mark Price from the charity stripe.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham played for six different teams across a nine season NBA career: Copyright 2004 NBAE (Photo by Allen Einstein/NBAE via Getty Images).

Van Gundy’s broadcast partner Mark Jackson was a teammate of Ham’s for one season (’96-97) with the Pacers. Jackson was intent on giving his ex-teammate his flowers after play-by-play man Mike Breen briefly introduced Darvin Ham to viewers. “Former teammate of mind. Great guy who once broke a backboard,” Jackson said, referring to Ham shattering the glass against North Carolina while starring for Texas Tech.

Seeing his opening and having coached against the offensively-challenged Ham, Van Gundy shot back. “With his dunking or his shooting,” Van Gundy asked Jackson of Ham’s backboard breaking past.

“Shots fired,” Jackson said. “With his dunking!”

The Van Gundy – Jackson exchange was arguably the most entertaining part of last night’s game. Though Zendaya fans would surely disagree. It was a snooze fest from the jump.

Fortunately, Van Gundy’s brief roast of Ham gave viewers something to chew on other than a lopsided score.

Follow along on Twitter: @OhioAF