LOS ANGELES, United States — The
Los Angeles Lakers sacked head coach
Frank Vogel on Monday, saying a change of
leadership was needed after the club’s failure to reach the playoffs.
اضافة اعلان
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka confirmed
Vogel’s dismissal in a statement, a day after the club’s miserable campaign
drew to a close.
“This is an incredibly
difficult decision to make, but one we feel is necessary at this point,”
Pelinka said.
Speculation over Vogel’s
future intensified after the Lakers’ final regular-season game on Sunday, with
ESPN reporting that the coach — who led the franchise to a 17th
NBA championship in 2020 — would be fired.
Talking to reporters
later Monday, Pelinka said the Lakers’ season had been “disappointing at every
level.”
“When you have
disappointment you need to take ownership of that and make adjustments to be
better,” Pelinka said.
“Today’s not going to be
a day of finger-pointing or unwinding all the specific reasons, we just felt
organizationally, that it was time for a new voice.”
The sacking came as
Lakers players addressed the media in end-of-season interviews.
Lakers superstar
LeBron James said before the dismissal was confirmed he had “nothing but respect” for
Vogel.
“I respect Frank as a
coach, as a man,” James said earlier Monday.
“The partnership that
we’ve had over the past few years has been nothing but just candid, great
conversations.”
“He’s a guy who gives
everything to the game. Prepared us every single night with his coaching
staff.”
“I don’t know what’s
going to happen, but I’ve got nothing but respect for him.”
Vogel bristled when asked
about his reported dismissal immediately after the Lakers’ 146–141 overtime win
over the
Denver Nuggets on Sunday.
“I haven’t been told sh**
and I’m going to enjoy tonight’s game, celebrate what these young guys did in
terms of scratching and clawing and getting back in this game and getting a W,
and we’ll deal with tomorrow, tomorrow,” Vogel told reporters.
Dismal record
The Lakers finished the 2021–2022 campaign in 11th place in
the
Western Conference, missing out on the postseason with a dismal record of
33 wins and 49 losses.
It is only the fourth
time in James’ career that he has failed to reach the playoffs, and the second
time it has happened since he joined the Lakers in 2018.
The team had been tipped
as championship contenders before the season after acquiring nine-time NBA
All-Star
Russell Westbrook in a blockbuster trade.
But injuries meant that
the Lakers were only able to field their big three of James, Westbrook, and
Anthony Davis in 21 games during the 82-game season.
James said Monday that
the team’s inability to find consistent results had been the most challenging
aspect of the season.
“It felt like every time
we would take a step forward, we would take three or four steps back,” James
said.
“We’d have a huge win at
home against a playoff-contending team like Utah — and then go on the road and
lose to Houston. That was the mental side, playing with your psyche like ‘What
the heck is going on?’”
“How can we be so great
one night and the next night be so mediocre? That was the most challenging part
of the season for sure.”
James meanwhile batted
away questions about his future with the Lakers, saying he had not discussed
the two-year contract extension he will be eligible to sign in August because
of collective bargaining agreement rules.
However, he insisted he
still wanted to challenge for more NBA titles with the Lakers.
“I came here to win a championship.
And I want to win more. So I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish, but I’m
still hungry for more,” James said. “I’m confident that this organization wants
the same.”
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