Throwback Thursday: Darvin Ham Shatters the Backboard
By Robert Jones
May 8, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers Metta World Peace (right) warms up with coach Darvin Ham before game 5 of the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the Denver Nuggets at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Eighteen years ago, in the East Regional round of NCAA tournament, Texas Tech men’s basketball upset sixth seeded North Carolina 92-73. But that game is probably best remembered for one of the most iconic dunks in college basketball history.
March 18, 1996, Ham’s slam and some sharp parimeter shooting help snap North Carolina’s 23-game winning streak. The Red Raiders eventually lost to Georgetown in the next round, finishing the year 30-2.
After an extended pro career that took him from the NBA to the European league and back to the NBA, Ham broke into the coaching ranks with the New Mexico Thunderbirds (2008-2011) as head coach and the Los Angeles Lakers (2011-2013) as an assistant. Today, He’s a member of the Atlanta Hawks coaching staff, currently leading the Indiana Pacers 3-2 in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.