LOS ANGELES Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) in action. A great player, but he had his injuries (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)

The Lakers’ firing of Darvin Ham as head coach this week was about as predictable and short-sighted as such things come. The team has now had seven head coaches in 15 years, and the Lake Show has become the Lame Show as far as demonstrating consistency and vision.

I’m not saying that Ham was the greatest man ever to clutch a clipboard. What I am saying is that if you want to build an operation that contends for the top you have to create and nurture a sound foundation and keep your  finger off the panic button every 24 months.

This sort of knee-jerk behavior is rampant in pro sports, and in business and even academia. When I was a college teacha, we had a new president every four or five years and the new one always wanted to make his or her mark by undoing everything the previous prez did, or tried to do.

Every president we had was either fired or got promoted to chancellor and then fired. 

In my military days, the brigade commander was switched every two years, and we experienced leadership whiplash. Sometimes it was a step up … just as often a step back or a side-step.

Ham’s Lakers had some stars – LeBron James, Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell – but they also had stars who got injured a lot, like James, Davis and Russell.

DAVIN HAM (Wikipedia).

This year the team got off to a bad start, but won the In-Season Tournament and made the playoffs with an impressive closing kick.

So what if they didn’t add a 19th championship banner to the rafters. In 1964, Yogi Berra managed the Yankees to the AL championship, winning 99 games. And was fired when the Yanks lost the World Series in seven games. 

Under new management, they slumped to sixth place in 1965 and 10th (and last place) in 1966. They didn’t make it back to the World Series until 1977 when Billy Martin was fired twice in one season by George Steinbrenner.

Let’s face it; winning it all is at least one half luck and timing. The Angels were at their best with a long-term manager like Mike Scioscia and the Lakers with Pat Riley and Phil Jackson. 

Those giants aren’t available. But maybe it’s time to show some patience and grow a new hero  from the fellows you have.