LOS ANGELES — Less than two years ago, LeBron James loved Darvin Ham.

“So damn excited,” he tweeted when the Lakers hired their rookie coach.

Less than a year ago, Rob Pelinka was thankful for Darvin Ham.

“I’m incredibly grateful for Darvin, mostly because of just his character and makeup,” Pelinka said to reporters, later adding, “And it’s easy just to focus on Xs and O’s. But I think when you lead with character, and you get a locker room to rally around belief, that’s a special intangible skill that I don’t think a lot of coaches have. That was on full display for Darvin this year.”

On Friday, the Lakers whacked Darvin Ham.

Say what?

“While this was a difficult decision to make, it is the best course of action following a full review of the season,” Pelinka said in a statement.

So Ham struggled in one season — his second season — and he’s already out? So Ham is less than one year removed from leading a newly formed team to within four wins of a spot in the NBA Finals … and he’s already gone?

The Lakers just fired a coach who was 90-74 and who’s two playoff series losses came in competitive duels with the Denver Nuggets, the defending champions and best team in basketball.

The Lakers just fired a coach who held them together through two seasons of health issues and roster chaos, a coach who consistently sold the fan base on hope and belief, a coach universally beloved for his character and widely admired for his potential.

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