Darvin Ham Clears the Air on Russell Westbrook Lakers Rumors

Former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham is speaking up about the rumors that surrounded Russell Westbrook during his time with the team.

When the Lakers traded Westbrook in 2023, the move came with a lot of noise, including a comment from an ESPN reporter who said removing Westbrook was like “removing a vampire from the locker room.” That line spread fast and made it seem like Westbrook was a big problem behind the scenes. The comment was later deleted, but the rumor stayed around.

Now, Darvin Ham wants people to know that story wasn’t true.

On The Hoop Genius Podcast, Darvin Ham said social media turned small things into big drama. He also said he respects Westbrook as a person and hopes they can talk again in the future.

Darvin Ham also explained one of the most talked-about decisions from that season: asking Westbrook to come off the bench. The move surprised many fans because Westbrook had started almost every game in his career. But Ham said the decision was about basketball fit, not personal issues.

With LeBron James and Anthony Davis also needing the ball, Darvin Ham believed the team needed more balance.

“For us to have success, we had to adjust our approach,” Ham said. “Him coming off the bench helped us get that balance.”

Ham added that Westbrook handled the change professionally. He didn’t complain.

Ham also talked about how the roster was built when the Lakers got Westbrook. To trade for him, the team had to let go of key players like Alex Caruso, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Kyle Kuzma. This left the Lakers without enough strong role players to support their stars.

The fit didn’t work on the court. Westbrook still averaged strong numbers — 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists — but the Lakers finished 33-49 and missed the playoffs. The failure wasn’t about locker room drama. It was about a roster that didn’t come together the way the team hoped.

Later, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka said the same thing: the idea of forming a “Big 3” just didn’t work, and it was his job to fix it.

So, according to Ham, there was no “vampire” and no big locker room fight — just a plan that didn’t work out.

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