The Milwaukee Bucks emerged victorious in the NBA Cup on Tuesday, defeating Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81 to claim the league’s second-ever in-season tournament title. The win marked a significant achievement for the Bucks’ top assistant coach, Darvin Ham, who has now clinched back-to-back NBA Cup titles in consecutive years with two different teams.
Last year, he led the Los Angeles Lakers to victory in the In-Season Tournament as their head coach. But Ham’s tenure with the Lakers ended abruptly, with the organization firing him due to their overall struggles in regular season and playoff performances.
Back2Back 🏆 pic.twitter.com/3CJNs6lK0J
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 18, 2024
This season, Ham joined the Bucks’ coaching staff as an assistant, and his prowess in Cup play continued to shine. With Tuesday’s win, Ham extended his record to an unblemished 14-0 in NBA Cup games.
However, his winning return this season with Milwaukee has reignited debates about his coaching brilliance. Fans are now embracing Ham’s unparalleled dominance in NBA Cup play. Some have begun referring to him as a legend of the tournament, while others boldly label him the GOAT of the Cup.
Ham the NBACup legend
— Vinny ( Dream chaser )⚡️⚡️ (@Vinnytct) December 18, 2024
Goat
— 17TooTuff (@17TooTuff) December 18, 2024
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you’ve never seen an assistant coach like Darvin Ham 😏
— PrizePicks (@PrizePicks) December 18, 2024
We need to give that man his flowers. This is the Darvin Ham Cup 😤
— Zach “🅂🄲🄷🅄🅉” Schumaker (@_SchuZ_) December 18, 2024
Real goat 🐐
— Monkey D. Crypto🏴☠️ (@MonkeyDCrypto_) December 18, 2024
Doc Rivers Praises Darvin Ham And Taurean Prince’s Unbeaten NBA Cup Streak
After the Milwaukee Bucks clinched the NBA Cup on Tuesday night, head coach Doc Rivers took a moment to highlight the remarkable achievements of assistant coach Darvin Ham and forward Taurean Prince in the tournament. Both Ham and Prince, who joined the Bucks after their stints with the Los Angeles Lakers, remain undefeated in NBA Cup play.
“When I said that (about Ham). (Prince) was like, ‘What about me?’ and he’s an undefeated player, so that’s pretty cool for them. You know where that will help us is on the back end because it’s tough. You come right out of this, and you have to get back to the grind,” River said.
Though their time with the Lakers ended on a disappointing note, their current success with the Bucks has been a remarkable turnaround. Together, Ham and Prince have brought a winning mentality to Milwaukee, helping the team excel in the tournament.
