"Get coach Carter outta here": Darvin Ham's “quality of life” reference for Lakers' pre-NBA All-Star break win has fans fuming

Darvin Ham’s shorthanded LA Lakers defeated the Utah Jazz 138-122 on the road on Wednesday. In doing so, they entered the NBA All-Star break on a three-game winning streak. However, despite the win, Ham’s attempt at delivering a motivational postgame quote left some Lakers fans frustrated.

Per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Ham referred to the Lakers’ victory as a “quality of life win” that would help boost the team’s morale heading into the break.

Ham has faced heavy fan criticism throughout the season, with the Lakers (30-26) having an up-and-down campaign. Following Wednesday’s win, the team still sits ninth in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, two of LA’s last three victories have come against sub-.500 teams (Detroit Pistons, Utah).

So, fans didn’t take too kindly to Ham exaggerating the magnitude of his team’s recent success.

“Get coach Carter outta here,” one fan said.

“Where does this guy Ham get his quotes? It's words like that which make the Lakers’ [front office] still believe in him,” another said.

However, a few fans defended Ham’s attempt to inspire his squad.

“Can y’all relax, this ain’t even that bad of a quote,” one fan said.

“People should be ashamed of themselves [for] still degrading him,” another said.

Below are a few more of the top fan reactions to Ham’s postgame quote:

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Like Darvin Ham, Anthony Davis encouraged by Lakers’ win over Jazz

LA fans may not have been that impressed with Wednesday’s victory. However, like his coach Darvin Ham, Lakers superstar big man Anthony Davis was encouraged by his team’s performance.

On top of the win marking LA’s third straight, it was the team’s sixth in its last seven games and fourth consecutive road victory. Furthermore, the Lakers were without superstar forward LeBron James, who sat out on the second night of a back-to-back due to an ankle injury.

In James’ absence, Davis led the way with a game-high 37 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks on 52.0% shooting. Meanwhile, forward Rui Hachimura added a career-high 36 points and six 3-pointers on 68.4% shooting.

Additionally, LA shot a blistering 57.1% (52-for-91) and 45.2% (14-for-31) from deep as a team.

“This is who we are. This is who we need to be,” Davis said. “We got to have an identity and we are starting to establish that.”

The Lakers will resume play on the road against the Golden State Warriors (26-26) on Feb. 22. They have 26 games remaining to try to secure a play-in/playoff berth in the crowded Western Conference.

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